(OTTAWA) Canada imposes sanctions on Alina Kabaeva, believed to be the spouse of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Posted at 12:18 p.m.
The former Olympic gymnast is among 22 close associates of the Russian regime who have been added to Ottawa’s sanctions list following the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin’s troops.
The UK had already imposed sanctions on Mme Kabaeva earlier this month, and her name also reportedly appeared on a draft list of people who could be targeted by the European Union.
At the time, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly did not rule out making a similar move, saying Canada wanted to be in tune with its allies when it comes to imposing sanctions on those linked to President Putin.
The latest round of sanctions, which also includes four financial institutions, came into effect last Friday.
Canada has so far sanctioned more than 1,500 individuals and entities since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.