Tensions in Ukraine | Canada sanctions Russia in turn

(Ottawa) Canada follows through on its threat and hits Russia with economic sanctions. It will also enhance its contribution to NATO by deploying up to 460 members of the Armed Forces to Latvia to reinforce the western flank of the political and military alliance.

Melanie Marquis
The Press

“Canada condemns the recognition by the President [Vladimir] Putin of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent territories. This recognition is a violation of Russia’s obligations under international law and the United Nations Charter,” Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday.

“Make no mistake: this is a new invasion of a sovereign state,” said the prime minister, accusing the strongman of the Kremlin of having delivered a speech on Monday full of inaccuracies and “dangerous misinformation”.

In response to these “brazen provocations” and “in coordination with like-minded allies and partners”, Canada has decided to slap Russia with a “first set of economic sanctions” which will remain in place “until that the territorial integrity of Ukraine be restored,” he said.

The government will ban Canadian citizens from any financial transactions with the pro-Russian separatist regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, and will sanction members of the Russian parliament who voted for the illegal decision to recognize these “so-called republics”, argued Justin Trudeau.

Canadians will also be banned from participating in purchases of Russian sovereign debt, and Ottawa will impose additional sanctions on Russian state-backed banks, in addition to prohibiting all financial transactions with them, he continued. .

At his side, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, assured that Western sanctions would hurt. Moscow may have “built up its war treasury” in anticipation of the offensive, but “its reserves will not last forever”, and “the Russian economy will be seriously damaged”, she pleaded.

Enhanced contribution to NATO

In addition to punishing Moscow economically, Ottawa is sending reinforcements to Latvia, where it is already taking part in NATO’s Reassurance mission. The Prime Minister has authorized the deployment of “a maximum of 460” members of the Canadian Armed Forces in this Baltic country which shares a border with Russia.

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces will not be on Latvian soil for a while. “Most of the 460 [troupes] will be on board HMCS Halifaxwhich will be deployed in March, towards the end of March,” said Minister of National Defense Anita Anand.

Minister Chrystia Freeland, for her part, argued that all these measures were not aimed at the Russian people, but rather at President Putin, his entourage and the oligarchs. The Ukrainian-rooted politician reiterated that the “autocrats” had their eyes on the West’s response to the Kremlin’s actions.

Russian ambassador summoned

Minister Joly also pointed out on Tuesday that the government had summoned Moscow’s head of mission to Ottawa, Oleg Stepanov: “I instructed my deputy minister to ensure [le] meet to clearly explain Canada’s position on the recognition of Donetsk and Lugansk. »

Canada’s chief diplomat also increased telephone exchanges during the day with her G7 counterparts, including the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom and Germany, congratulating the latter on having decided to suspend certification. of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

Russian President Vladimir Putin officially announced the establishment of diplomatic ties with the pro-Russian separatist regions of Donetsk and Lugansk on Tuesday, after recognizing their independence the day before.

At the White House on Tuesday afternoon, United States President Joe Biden announced the imposition of economic sanctions against Moscow. The country will no longer have access to Western financing, and two banking institutions have been sanctioned, the American leader said at a press conference.