(OTTAWA) A spokesperson for the foreign affairs minister says Canada is not ruling out imposing sanctions on the ex-wife of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Lyudmila Ocheretnaya.
Posted at 1:20 p.m.
The ex-wife of the Russian president, who divorced in 2014, is the mother of his two adult daughters, already sanctioned by Canada.
Mélanie Joly said last week that Mr. Putin’s alleged companion, Alina Kabaeva, who has just been sanctioned by the United Kingdom with Mme Ocheretnaya, was not immune to Canadian sanctions.
The spokesperson for M.me Joly, Adrien Blanchard, said all options were on the table for a new round of sanctions, and the aim was to ensure there were no loopholes, including in the inner circle of Mr Putin.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 1,000 entities and individuals, including Russian oligarchs and Putin’s allies in Belarus.
Blanchard says Canada’s goal is to be fully aligned with its allies on sanctions, so those responsible for invading Ukraine have nowhere to hide.