John Baird announces more sanctions against Russia

Canada isaddingto the sanctions it has imposed against Russia in order to further condemnthe actions of Vladimir Putin's regime, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird announced Tuesday.

Four "senior Russian individuals" have been added to Canada's travel ban, Baird said. Five Russian entities and one financial institution also have been added to Canada's existing economic sanctions.

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The new individuals named are:

• General Dmitry Vitalievich Bulgakov, senior official in the Russian Armed Forces
• Lieutenant-General Yuriy Eduardovich Sadovenko, senior official in the Russian Armed Forces
• Colonel-General Nikolay Bogdanovskiy, senior official in the Russian Armed Forces
• Colonel-General Oleg Leonidovich Salyukov, senior official in the Russian Armed Forces

The entities are:

• OJSC Dolgoprudny Research Production Enterprise (DNPP)
• JSC Kalinin Machine-Building Plant (MZiK)
• Mitischinskii Machine-Building Plant OAO (MMZ)
• V. Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design (NIIP)
• Marine Scientific Research Institute of Radioelectronics Altair (MNIIRE Altair)

The financial institution added to the sanctions isSberbank.

A release from the Department of Foreign Affairs says that Canada has placed "additional restrictions to the terms under which designated Russian banks can access capital markets, by prohibiting the issuance of any loan carrying a maturation date greater than 30 days."

Sanctions working

Baird said Russia hasused "smoke and mirrors, not to mention tanks and artillery," todestabilizeits neighbourUkraine.Not only has Russia not withdrawn its support for pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, Baird said, but even today Russia announced a surge of troops in Crimea.

"Canada will never recognize Crimea as part of the Russian Federation. And these latest developments certainly give us pause for what the Russian Federation could do next," the foreign affairs minister said.

"There cannot be business as usual between Russia and the international community," Baird said, noting earlier sanctions are having an effect, including on the value of Russia's currency.

"We will not rest until the people of Ukraine arefree, truly free, to choose theirown destiny."

These measures against Russia add to previouslyannounced economic sanctions and travel bans.

In response to measures announced by Canada and its alliesin August, Russia retaliated by limiting theimport into Russia ofagricultural, raw and food productsfrom countries that imposed sanctions against Russia.

Poroshenko arrives late Tuesday

Ukrainian PresidentPetroPoroshenkois scheduled to arrive in Ottawa Tuesday evening, ahead of his address to Canada's Parliament on Wednesday afternoon.

A shaky ceasefire between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainiangovernmentforces was signed on Sept. 5, but fighting continuesand civilian casualties continue to mount.

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Canadas help to Ukraine so far includes:

• Deploying some non-combat troops from the Canadian army, navy and air force to join allies for militaryexercises and patrolsin eastern Europe and the Black Sea.
• Millions of dollars toward projects to strengthen trade, economic development and democracy in Ukraine.
• Military equipment.
• Sanctions against more than 180 Russian and Ukrainian individuals and entities.

Canadian election observers will be in Ukraine next month for the parliamentary election on Oct. 26, which followsPoroshenko'sdissolution of the current assembly.

Baird said Tuesday Canada's support for these elections will include sending 300 trainedobservers and a dozen Parliamentarians to monitor the vote.

In a speech to his caucus yesterday meant to set the tone for the fall sitting of the House of Commons,Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that since the Putin regime invadedUkraine, we have been leading the way in seeking the political and economic isolation ofRussia.

The Harpergovernment says its response to "Russian expansionism and militarism" in easternUkrainehas been "swift, targeted and unequivocal."