Canada has imposed sanctions on Alina Kabaeva,&nbsp;reportedly the girlfriend of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The former Olympic gymnast is one of 22 close associates of the Russian regime added to the sanctions list over the country's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Western countries considering whether to let Russian oligarchs buy relief from sanctions

Western allies are considering allowing Russian oligarchs to buy their way out of sanctions and using the money to rebuild Ukraine, according to government officials familiar with the matter.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, May 16, 2022.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland

Western allies are considering whether to allow Russian oligarchs to buy their way out of sanctions while using the money to rebuild Ukraine, according to government officials familiar with the matter. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland proposed the idea at a G7 finance ministers' meeting in Germany last week.

Sanctioned Russians will be banned from entering Canada, government says

Russians sanctioned by Canada will be barred from entering the country, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) say.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks to Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Feb. 14, 2022. Russia's top diplomat has advised President Vladimir Putin to continue talks with the West on Russian security demands amid tensions over Ukraine. Speaking at the start of a meeting with Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested Russia should continue a dialogue with the U.S. and its allies even though they have rejected Moscow's main security demands. 

Ukraine Tensions

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is among those barred from entering Canada.

The United Kingdom sanctioned Kabaeva 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.

At the time, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly would not rule out making a similar move, saying Canada wanted to be in lockstep with its allies on imposing sanctions on people with ties to Putin.

Canada announces new round of sanctions against President Vladimir Putin's supporters

Foreign Minister Melanie Joly says this round of sanctions targets banks, oligarchs and Putin's current partner.

"We need to suffocate the Putin regime. That's been our goal since the beginning&nbsp;and that's what we'll continue to do," Joly said Tuesday in a scrum with reporters.

She said that although Canada and its allies weren't imposing sanctions on the same people and organizations at the same time, their approach is still coordinated.

"What we're doing is sometimes we take the lead, sometimes we work with the Americans, sometimes we work with the Europeans," she said.

"At the end of the day, when all the G7 ministers gather, we know we're working on the same entities and individuals."

The latest round of sanctions, which also include four financial institutions, came into force last Friday.

Canada has sanctioned more than 1,500 individuals and entities since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, speaks with gymnast Alina Kabaeva at a Kremlin banquet in Moscow, Russia on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2004.

Canada adds Putin's alleged girlfriend to the sanctions list

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