• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Canada imposes more bans on Russia over Ukrainian crisis

Iran Press TV

Wed Feb 18, 2015 7:35AM

Canada has imposed new sanctions on over 50 Russian and pro-Russia individuals and entities, accusing Russia of undermining "the sovereignty of Ukraine."

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper made the announcement on Tuesday, saying the new bans target 37 individuals and 17 entities, including Russian oil giant NK Rosneft OAO and the head of conglomerate Rostec Sergei Chemezov.

"In co-ordination with our EU and US partners, Canada is once again intensifying its response to the situation by announcing further sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian individuals and entities," said Harper.

The Canadian prime minister, who has been strongly opposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin over what he calls Russia's interference in Ukraine, added that he is prepared to take additional action against Moscow and pro-Russians if the crisis in Ukraine is not resolved.

The announcement was made after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko urged earlier in the day the West to get "tough" on Moscow over what he calls violations by pro-Russia forces of a new ceasefire in the country's restive eastern regions.

Ottawa's move came two days after the EU imposed sanctions on 28 individuals and entities, accusing them of "undermining or threatening" Ukraine's independence.

The Russian Foreign Ministry responded to the European move saying "We are getting the impression that Brussels and the capitals of the EU countries either no longer control the sanctions wheel or are trying to make everyone believe that what they want is actually a reality and convince the public that the EU sanctions are making Russia more 'compliant.'"

Western governments have imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia, including on its financial and energy sectors, and put a number of Russian nationals close to President Putin under sanction, too.

In a tit-for-tat measure, Moscow imposed year-long food bans on the United States, the EU, Australia, Canada and Norway last August. The move is estimated to cost European agricultural industries millions of dollars in damages.

The West accuses Moscow of having a hand in the crisis in eastern Ukraine, which erupted when Kiev launched military operations in mid-April last year to silence pro-Russia protests there. However, the Kremlin denies the accusation.

The fighting has left 5,600 people dead, and some 14,000 others injured, according to the latest figures from the United Nations. Around 1.5 million people have been also forced from their homes over the past months of turmoil.

CAH/HJL/HRB