OTTAWA: Canada announced on Monday a doubling of its military aid to Ukraine to C$1 billion (US$750 million) as well as new sanctions against Russian justice and security officials.
“This additional military aid will support Ukrainians as they bravely continue to fight Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion, while these new sanctions will put additional pressure on those who support these acts of war,” Prime Minister Justin said. Trudeau in a statement.
The sanctions target 23 Russian police and investigators, prosecutors, judges and prison officers who the Canadian government says have been “involved in gross and systematic human rights violations against Russian opposition leaders.”
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Those named include several Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) agents accused of involvement in the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Others are believed to be behind the jailing of opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza in April for denouncing the Kremlin’s offensive in Ukraine. He was charged last month with high treason.
New military funding for Ukraine, meanwhile, doubles Ottawa’s commitment in its April budget and will go to military, surveillance and communications equipment, fuel and medical supplies.
Ottawa has already announced deliveries to Ukraine of armored vehicles, artillery and ammunition, camera drones and winter clothing for troops.
