(Ottawa) Russia’s ambassador to Ottawa says Canada is not safe for its compatriots.
“Canada today is a very dangerous country for Russian citizens,” Oleg Stepanov said in an interview in Russian last Friday.
“I wouldn’t recommend it for tourism, education or business. »
Stepanov told state news agency RIA Novosti that Canada continues to sanction people in what he sees as an arbitrary response to the conflict in Ukraine.
He also claimed that Russians in Canada routinely experience racism and lamented what he said were daily protests outside the Russian Embassy in Ottawa and its consulates in Montreal and Toronto.
“Russian-Canadian relations are now in a deep freeze,” Stepanov added.
He took aim at Canada’s intention to confiscate US$26 million held by a company owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, which would be the first case under a new law that allows Ottawa to take possession of people’s funds. sanctioned and to divert them to the victims of wrongdoing.
Ottawa has yet to file its claim in court. Stepanov said the idea amounted to an attack on property rights.
However, Mr Stepanov mentioned that most Canadians treat Russians well, and Moscow’s travel advisory for Canada only warns of street gangs and a “rather harsh climate”.
He also claimed that Russia had been unable to open a consulate in Vancouver.
Global Affairs Canada did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Stepanov said Russia is open to dialogue with Canada if it stops echoing US policy, but Ottawa says change will only happen when Russia ends its invasion of Ukraine and compensate that country for its losses.
Earlier this year, a Russian woman living in Ottawa, Elena Pushkareva, alleged that Mr Stepanov had refused consular services for claiming that his participation in a pro-democracy Facebook group posed a security risk.
Last year, Russia summoned Canada’s ambassador to Moscow over allegations that the RCMP and Global Affairs Canada failed to respond adequately to security concerns, such as security footage suggesting someone threw a Molotov cocktail over the Ottawa Embassy fence.
The Trudeau government has accused Russia of wreaking havoc around the world and summoned Mr. Stepanov for social media posts against LGBTQ people.
Last summer, a bicycle painted blue and yellow sat outside the embassy for weeks until a group painted it black on August 16.
The group also painted a large Z on the sidewalk and lamppost, which is a sign indicating support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A passerby posted photos of the group, which appeared to have arrived at the scene in a car with diplomatic plates.
In his interview last week, Stepanov called on the Canadian public to take pictures of diplomatic cars.