Russian sanctions target Canadian premiers, journalists, military

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OTTAWA — Russia focused 61 Canadians — from politicians to journalists — with recent sanctions on Thursday over Canada’s actions in opposition to the nation for its invasion of Ukraine.

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A lot of these named, together with provincial premiers, army personnel, political workers and journalists, handled their inclusion on the newest listing from President Vladimir Putin as a proverbial badge of honour. However others, comparable to Globe and Mail worldwide correspondent Mark MacKinnon, noticed nothing optimistic within the growth.

“I’m getting numerous ‘congratulations’ replies to this. However for me, it’s a genuinely unhappy day. I liked my time dwelling in Russia, and made numerous buddies there (although lots of them have left),” MacKinnon said on Twitter.

“I at all times tried to report actually in regards to the nation. I suppose that was the issue.”

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Russia has already banned many distinguished Canadians from coming into the nation, together with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, cupboard ministers and MPs from all events. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was beforehand banned as a result of she wrote critically about Putin in her previous profession as a journalist.

They have been joined Thursday by Bob Rae, Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, in addition to 5 provincial premiers: Ontario’s Doug Ford, Alberta’s Jason Kenney, British Columbia’s John Horgan, Manitoba’s Heather Stefanson and Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe.

“Honoured to be included in Putin’s newest blacklist of sanctioned Canadians! My solely query: what took so lengthy,” Kenney said on Twitter. He famous that as a former federal Conservative defence minister, he was proud to launch the Canadian Forces army coaching mission in Ukraine that included sending gear and satellite tv for pc expertise.

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Horgan mentioned his itemizing was “a badge of honour not for myself however for British Columbia.”

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At a information convention Thursday, he mentioned the ban meant that the province and its folks caught the eye of a “brutal dictator” by standing as much as him, and opening their hearts and houses to Ukrainians.

“So, if the Russians don’t need me to go to, I had no plans to go,” Horgan mentioned. “I suppose I’ll scratch that off my listing of issues to do. It’s not on the bucket listing, if it ever was.”

Financial institution of Canada governor Tiff Macklem, the prime minister’s chief of workers Katie Telford and former senator Romeo Dallaire are additionally on the listing.

The Defence Division introduced the retirement of two Canadian army leaders on Thursday, a number of hours after they have been sanctioned by Russia. They have been vice-admiral Craig Baines, the previous commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, and lieutenant-general Al Meinzinger, former commander of the Canadian Air Pressure.

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A number of lively army leaders are on the Russian listing, together with Maj.-Gen. Steve Boivin, commander of the particular operations forces of the Canadian Armed Forces.

The sanctions additionally goal Canadian journalists comparable to MacKinnon, who previously served because the Globe’s Moscow correspondent and has reported recurrently from Ukraine earlier than and in the course of the warfare, and Nationwide Put up columnist John Ivison, in addition to the editor-in-chief of the Globe and the president and CEO of CBC.

Russia says on its Overseas Ministry web site in Russian that these people are all “immediately concerned within the growth, substantiation and implementation of the Russophobic course of the ruling regime in Canada.”

Municipal politicians additionally made the listing, together with the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa, John Tory and Jim Watson.

“The Metropolis of Toronto continues to face with the folks of Ukraine as they proceed the struggle of their lives and the struggle for freedom and democracy for us all. Past that we’ll proceed to do all we are able to as a metropolis to supply shelter and assist to these escaping these atrocities,” Tory mentioned in a press release.

— with recordsdata from Lee Berthiaume and Hina Alam