Canada says that sanctions against Russia must be maintained
Canada strongly condemns the “illegal annexation” of Crimea by Russia and stresses the importance of maintaining international pressure on Moscow and keeping sanctions in place “until Russian respects international law and Ukraine’s sovereignty.” This was stated by Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“Today is the three year anniversary of the illegal annexation of Crimea. We strongly condemn the violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine…Canada unswervingly supports the Ukrainian people. Together, the international community must continue to exert pressure, which includes economic sanctions, until Russia respects international law and Ukraine’s sovereignty,” she emphasized.
She added that since the Crimean peninsula came under the auspices of the Russian Federation, there have been serious violations of human rights, including bans on personal expression and freedom of assembly.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs also noted that Ottawa is deeply concerned about the continued harassment of human rights activists, journalists, and lawyers, as well as the arbitrary detention and harassment of Tatars and other minorities living in Crimea.