"This is another round of so-called sanctions that are meaningless. The anti-Russian restrictions introduced by Prime Minister Trudeau’s cabinet remain in fact a dead letter and are hardly noticed by anyone, since they have no effect on the interests of our individuals and entities," Stepanov said on Thursday.
The absurd sanctions imposed by Canada cause nothing but a smile, the ambassador said. However, Ottawa should expect a tit-for-tat response based on the principle of reciprocity.
Moreover, the latest move by the Trudeau Cabinet is merely a gesture of despair by Ottawa reflecting its international impotence, the ambassador said. Sanctions imposed for a second time on admired hockey legend Vladislav Tretyak further put into evidence Canada’s “bitterness and anger,” he continued.
The ambassador also commented on the sanctions imposed on several Russian media outlets, highlighting what he said was Ottawa’s hypocrisy for not abiding by their own words.
“The hypocrisy of the Canadian authorities is obvious: only in words they are committed to democracy and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech and the press, but in fact they violate without blushing those principles by trying to impose sanctions against the Russian media,” Stepanov said.
Earlier on Thursday, Canada imposed Russia-related sanctions on 11 individuals and 16 entities among which were Pobeda Airlines, Russia’s new Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov, and news outlets such as Rossiyskaya Gazeta and the Saint Peterburg Channel. The restrictions also target the Russian Interior Ministry's training center in Managua, Nicaragua.
Since the start of Russia’s special military operation in February 2022, Canada has committed more than C$14 billion ($10.1 billion) in financial, humanitarian, military and other assistance to Ukraine. Ottawa has also sanctioned over 3000 individuals and entities from Russia, as well as alleged "enablers" in Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova.