Canada announced on Tuesday that it is imposing additional sanctions on 22 Russian individuals and four key financial institutions and banks to add further pressure on Russia in response to the country’s attack on Ukraine.
The individuals sanctioned under the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations are considered close associates of the Russian regime, including senior officials of Russian financial institutions and their family members, according to a release from Global Affairs Canada.
Among the 22 individuals, Alina Kabaeva, who is allegedly the girlfriend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is on the new list.
Kabaeva, a former Olympic gymnast, was sanctioned by the U.K. earlier this month and her name was also reported to have appeared on a draft list of individuals who could be sanctioned by the European Union, The Canadian Press reported.
The Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations are set to prohibit “persons in Canada and Canadians outside Canada from engaging in any activity related to any property of the sanctioned individuals or providing financial or related services to them,” according to the government’s webpage.
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Mélanie Joly, said the country will not hesitate to take appropriate countermeasures in response to “every action taken by President Putin to undermine Ukraine’s territorial integrity.”
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“Canada will relentlessly pursue accountability for the Russian regime’s unjustifiable acts. We stand with Ukraine and its people,” Joly said in the release.
Global Affairs Canada Canada said that the new sanctions aim to apply further pressure on the Russian leadership to end the “senseless” war in Ukraine.
“The measures also demonstrate that Canada is a leader in the broad international effort to hold the Russian leadership accountable and defend Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence,” it said in its release.
“Canada will continue to explore new ways to exert pressure on the Russian regime.”
Since Feb. 24, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 1,050 individuals and entities from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
In March, Canada referred Russia’s war on Ukraine to the International Criminal Court about Moscow’s war crimes and crimes against humanity.
In addition, Canada has been providing humanitarian aids and military support to Ukraine. This month, Canada announced that it will provide $98-million worth of artillery rounds to Ukraine with the war hitting the three-month mark.
— with files from The Canadian Press
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