Conflicts & War

US, Canada step up sanctions against Russia as Zelenskyy addresses parliament

Washington, Mar 15 (EFE).- The United States and Canada on Tuesday announced more sanctions against senior Russian defense officials over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The US State Department has sanctioned 11 senior Russian defense ministry and army officials.

At the same time, the Treasury Department announced another package of economic sanctions, targeting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and his wife, and four Russian individuals and one Russian organization for their links to alleged human rights violations.

The sanctions mean that all the properties of those affected in US territory will be seized and US citizens are prohibited from doing business with them.

Canada also announced another round of sanctions, targeting 15 top Russian officials, hours before Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Canadian parliament by video link Tuesday to call for more support from Western allies.

“We’re not asking for much, we’re asking for support,” Zelenskyy said in the speech. “Canada is leading in these efforts and I’m hoping other countries will follow suit.”

“Close the airspace please to stop the bombing. How many more cruise missiles have to fall on our cities until you make this happen?

“(…) You all need to do more to stop Russia to protect Ukraine. By doing that, to protect Europe from the Russian threat. They’re destroying everything,” he said.

Among the 15 names included in the sanctions list are Dmitry Grigorenko, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation; Igor Osipov, Admiral in charge of the Black Sea Fleet; Nikolai Yevmenov, Commander-in-Chief of the Navy; and Maxim Reshetnikov, Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.

Since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, Canada has sanctioned more than 900 Russian and Belarusian individuals and entities, more than half since Moscow’s forces launched their invasion of Ukraine last February 24.

Canada, home to about 1.5 million people of Ukrainian descent, has been a major ally of the Ukrainian authorities since the 2014 revolution toppled the pro-Russian government of Viktor Yanukovych. EFE

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