OTTAWA – Canada has imposed tough sanctions on Russia following Moscow’s attack on neighboring Ukraine. Consider the measures and other actions Canada is taking:
PENALIZE
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Canada has sanctioned 58 people and organizations with ties to Russia, including key political leaders, financiers and their families, as well as a paramilitary organization called the Wagner Group and several major banks of Russia.
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Also on the list are members of Russia’s Security Council, including key cabinet ministers close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Other sanctions target members of the Russian State Duma who voted to recognize the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk, two breakaway regions of Ukraine that have endured eight years of war due to weapons and Russian military support.
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The ban prohibits Canadians from engaging in transactions and activities in government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk.
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A ban on anyone dealing directly or indirectly with Russia’s sovereign debt is intended to prevent that country from increasing debt to cover spending costs.
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Measures prior to this week’s actions have targeted more than 440 individuals and entities, and are in line with similar measures taken by allies such as the European Union and Britain. The sanctions freeze assets and prohibit financial transactions with any of the entities on the list. They also imposed a travel ban to Canada on any of the individuals on the list.
MILITARY
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Canada will send an additional 460 troops to join the roughly 800 already deployed in Europe as part of NATO.
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On land, Canada will send an artillery battery and an electronic warfare team. The Latvian task force included up to 540 Canadian personnel, vehicles and equipment.
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In the air, the country’s military will send a long-range patrol aircraft CP-140 Aurora to serve under NATO command. On the water, a second frigate with maritime helicopters will join NATO’s Permanent Naval Forces.
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About 3,400 Canadian Armed Forces personnel have also been authorized to deploy to Europe if NATO requires assistance.
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The federal government has provided arms and equipment up to $10 million to Ukraine. Including weapons and ammunition worth 7.8 million USD.
OTHER ACTION
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Canada is canceling existing export licenses for Russia, with an estimated trade value of $700 million.
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Canada has provided Ukraine with a loan of up to $620 million to help it fend off Russian efforts to destabilize Ukraine’s economy.
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In early February, Global Affairs Canada advised Canadians to avoid all travel to Ukraine. More recently, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly urged any Canadians in Ukraine to leave immediately.
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The federal government has also closed its embassy in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
This Canadian Press report was first published on February 24, 2022.
