Advertisement

Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson among latest Russian sanctions targeting Canadians

Click to play video: 'Premier Stefanson Responds To Putin'
Premier Stefanson Responds To Putin
Premier Stefanson responds to Putin banning her from Russia. Dougald Lamont and Ian Bushie react to the Province's reconciliation efforts. – Apr 21, 2022

Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson has been officially sanctioned by Russia.

Stefanson is among 61 Canadians including provincial premiers, military personnel, political staff and journalists, who will be “indefinitely prohibited” from entering the Russian Federation, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced Thursday.

At a press conference later in the day, Stefanson said she’s never been to Russian and had no plans on traveling to the country.

“I take it as a badge of honour, frankly,” she told reporters of the being included on the list.

Click to play video: 'Russia prepares for next phase of Ukraine invasion'
Russia prepares for next phase of Ukraine invasion

“We stand united with Ukraine and we will all the way through this horrific situation that’s going on in their country.”

Story continues below advertisement

Among the Canadians banned are foreign and defence policy adviser to the prime minister of Canada Dan Costello, Toronto Mayor John Tory, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Premier of Alberta Jason Kenney, and chairman of the Bank of Canada Tiff Maclem.

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The sanctions also target Canadian journalists such as Globe and Mail international correspondent Mark MacKinnon and National Post columnist John Ivison, as well as the editor-in-chief of the Globe and the president and CEO of CBC.

In a release a day after the invasion started Feb. 23 Stefanson condemned Russia for violating Ukraine’s sovereignty and pledged to back the federal government in imposing economic sanctions on Russia and in sending Canadian military equipment to Ukraine.

On Thursday she called on Putin to stop the war and reaffirmed her government’s commitment to welcome Ukrainian refugees to Manitoba.

Story continues below advertisement

 

“We will welcome them with open arms,” she said.

“They’ve gone through absolutely horrific tragedy and we will do whatever we can to protect them and give them, they and their families, whatever they need.”

Manitoba is home to more than 180,000 people of Ukrainian descent.

Russia said on its Foreign Ministry website that the Canadians named in the latest sanctions are all “directly involved in the development, substantiation and implementation of the Russophobic course of the ruling regime in Canada.”

Click to play video: 'Former Ukrainian Studies professor on Russia invasion'
Former Ukrainian Studies professor on Russia invasion

The ministry also went on to say that in the near future, the Russia “stop list” will continue to expand.

Story continues below advertisement

“The Russian side will continue the principled line, which implies a resolute rebuff to the Russophobic actions of the official Ottawa, including the supply of weapons and connivance in sending mercenaries to Ukraine,” the ministry said in a statement.

“In this regard, we warn the Canadian curators of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the national battalions of responsibility for the war crimes committed by their wards. The guilty will definitely be punished.”

President Vladimir Putin’s regime has already banned many prominent Canadians from entering the country, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, cabinet ministers and MPs from all parties.

–with files from Aya Al-Hakim, Sam Thompson and The Canadian Press

Sponsored content

AdChoices