Canada slaps new sanctions on Russia for 2nd anniversary of Ukraine war

Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly speaks to the media during a press conference with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024.

Canada has joined the United States and the European Union in slapping new sanctions on Russia on the eve of the second anniversary its invasion of Ukraine and in apparent retaliation for the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The 47-year-old critic of the Kremlin died suddenly in an Arctic penal colony last Friday. He was serving a three-decade sentence that his allies have labelled as politically motivated.

Now, Canada has unveiled the sanctions targeting 10 individuals, including an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with 153 entities.

“These sanctions target individuals and entities who support the Russian military through finance, logistics and sanctions evasion,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly in a statement Friday.

“Most of the sanctioned entities are part of the Russian military-industrial complex, providing research and development, production, repairs, and other goods and services to Russia’s Ministry of Defence,” she added.

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Hours earlier, U.S. President Joe Biden announced 500 new sanctions targeting Russia, along with export restrictions on almost 100 entities which provide support to the Kremlin.

Biden also vowed to take additional measures to reduce Moscow’s energy revenues.

In a statement, the U.S. president said the measures will target individuals connected to Navalny’s imprisonment, Russia’s financial sector, defence industrial base, procurement networks, and sanctions dodgers.

On Thursday, Biden met with Navalny’s widow and daughter in San Franciso and said there was “no doubt” Putin was behind the death.

More to come…

-with files from the Associated Press