John Baird announces more sanctions in Ukraine crisis
Canada is adding a further 14 individuals to the list of those sanctioned over Russia's ongoing involvement in the situation in Ukraine.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird made the announcement Friday in Ottawa.
Baird said Canada welcomes an agreement last week in Berlin on talks between Russia and Ukraine to restore a ceasefire in the region, but said "Moscow's failure to back up its words with deeds will result in further costs to the Russia Federation."
"Peace will only be achieved if Russia and the gunmen it continues to support start showing good faith in talks with Kyiv," he said, calling on Russia to stop arming insurgents and draw down its forces on the Ukrainian border.
Baird called news Friday of the deaths of 30 Ukrainian soldiers "shocking" and pointed to "Russian-sponsored subversion and violence."
"This type of aggressive action, this type of military capability is not coming from some natural group of concerned Ukrainian citizens and it has to stop," Baird said.
Baird said Canada is supportive of NATO's response to the crisis.
"Canada has been very front and centre and supportive of the reassurance package to NATO members who are on the border with Russia. Obviously the concerns, the real concerns in Romania and Poland and the three Baltic states are real and Canada is there," Baird said.
In a statement, the Prime Minster's Office said it is imposing economic sanctions and travel bans against 14 individuals it described as members of insurgent groups or separatist militias in eastern Ukraine or members of Russian groups supporting them:
- Viktor Yuriiovych Anosov.
- Viacheslav Anatoliiovych Apraksimov.
- Fedir Dmytrovych Berezin.
- Ruslan Yunirovish Ilkaev.
- Valery Vladimirovich Kaurov.
- Oleksandr Sergiyovych Khodakovskyi.
- Mykola Ivanovych Kozitsyn.
- Oleksii Borysovych Mozgovyi.
- Valerii Kostiantynovych Musiienko.
- Viacheslav Mykolaiovych Petrov.
- Ihor Venedyktovych Plotnytsky.
- Yurii Oleksandrovych Protsenko.
- Oleh Anatoliiovych Vasin.
- Serhii Anatoliyovych Zdriliuk.
On Thursday, the government announced that six CF-18 fighter jets that had been based in Romania on a training mission since May will be moved to Russia's doorstep in Lithuania in September.
The jets were sent to Europe as part of a NATO measure to thwart what Prime Minister Stephen Harper has called Russia's "persistent military aggression" in Ukraine.
National Defence said in a statement the CF-18s will be deployed in Lithuania until December as part of a NATO Baltic Air Policing program and will respond to "any violations of Baltic air space."
Canada has already imposed a series of economic sanctions and travel bans against Russian and Ukrainian individuals, expelled a Russian diplomat and earmarked more than $220 million to help stabilize the Ukrainian economy.
With files from The Canadian Press