Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is sanctioning 160 more Russian officials in retaliation for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Trudeau says Canada is also imposing new bans on the export of certain goods and technologies to Russia in an attempt to limit its ability to wage war in Ukraine.
The prime minister announced the new measures this afternoon at the end of a whirlwind trip to Brussels, where he addressed the European Parliament before meeting fellow leaders from the NATO military alliance and G7.
The visit was Trudeau’s second to Europe this month after Russian forces invaded Ukraine last month, sparking the most serious security threat to Europe and North America in generations.
That threat is putting fresh pressure on Canada to invest more in its military, with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg saying allies have agreed to present plans in June to rapidly ratchet up their defence spending.
That could be difficult for the Liberals, however, after they promised to invest in new social programs such as pharmacare and dental care in return for the NDP’s support in the House of Commons.