Canada slaps new sanctions on Russia over Ukraine

MOSCOW, Feb 18 (PRIME) -- Canada has imposed new sanctions against 37 individuals and 17 companies from Russia and Ukraine due to the latest actions of pro-Russian rebels in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement published on his Web site on Wednesday.

“Our Government remains steadfast in its commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine in the face of the (President Vladimir) Putin regime’s ongoing military aggression, which has already cost the lives of more than 5,300 people…Canada’s position remains clear: we recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and will never recognize the illegal Russian occupation of any part of the country,” he said.

State-owned oil major Rosneft was included on the sanctions list, along with 16 other Russian and Ukrainian firms.

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov, CEO of industrial corporation Rostec Sergei Chemezov, head of international information agency Rossiya Segodnya Dmitry Kiselyov, Deputy Chief of Defense Andrei Katrapolov and four other high-ranked military officials were also included on the sanctions list among others.

Rosneft spokesman Mikhail Leontyev likened sanctions against Rosneft’s joint project with U.S. ExxonMobil for development of the Harmattan Cardium formation in the Canadian province of Alberta to sanctions against a dead person, which is the Canadian oil industry.

“The project is of little interest from a commercial point of view, and under current oil prices it is simply a catastrophe (for Canada)…It was just like when Bulgaria which imposed sanctions on the South Stream project while streaming tears. The Canadian oil industry is in a terminal state. These were sanctions against a dead man, and I mean Canadian oil production,” Leontyev was quoted as saying by the Russian News Service.

Vladimir Gutenev, counselor to Chemezov, said that Canada’s restrictions on Rostec will have no effect on the company’s strategy, as this step was not unexpected.

“Sanctions against a company’s top management have a negative impact, but do not eliminate potential for cooperation or diminish the level of relations. Unfortunately, such potential (for Rostec) is now not as high as potential of relations between Russia and Canada. Any sanctions are unlikely to hurt our strategy of development,” Gutenev said, as cited by the Russian News Service.

On February 12, the negotiators, including Russia and the E.U., agreed in Minsk on a ceasefire in Ukraine from February 15, removal of heavy weapons and amendments to the country’s constitution. But since the ceasefire came in force it has been repeatedly violated by both sides.

On Monday, the E.U. expanded its sanctions list over the Ukrainian conflict, having added 19 people, including five Russians, and nine companies.

Relations between Russia and the West soured to their worst since the Cold war times in 2014 due to a military conflict in Ukraine. The West introduced sanctions against some Russian individuals and firms and further against oil, gas, and banking sectors. In response, Russia banned food imports from some countries, including the U.S., the E.U., Canada, Australia, and Norway.

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