MONTREAL --
Canada will quickly impose new sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Overseas Affairs Minister Melanie Joly mentioned Monday.
"There will likely be extra sanctions. We want to verify we put most strain on Vladimir Putin, his shut guard and likewise the oligarchs, that's our purpose," Joly mentioned following a speech to the Montreal Council on Overseas Relations.
With additional particulars on sanctions to return later this week, Joly advised reporters Ottawa will do the whole lot in its energy to make sure Russia is remoted diplomatically, economically and politically, whereas offering Ukraine with weapons.
Joly known as Russian President Vladimir Putin unpredictable and mentioned his invasion of Ukraine is a risk to world stability.
"We want to verify Ukrainians win this warfare. Vladimir Putin can't prevail," she mentioned. "It is a query that's existential to the West and the world's stability."
She praised the braveness of Russians who've dared to display towards the warfare, and she or he mentioned she appreciates that the quite a few sanctions Canada, the US and the European Union have imposed are hitting the Russian inhabitants arduous.
"We all know that the Russian folks themselves are affected by these selections, and I need to thank and assist all these dissenting voices inside Russia who've taken a lot private threat and proven a lot braveness in talking out publicly towards the state of affairs in Ukraine," she mentioned.
However she mentioned the sanctions are essential to strain the Russian authorities to finish its invasion, which has pushed practically 3.4 million folks from Ukraine, in keeping with the United Nations.
Joly's feedback got here as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ready to depart for his second journey throughout the Atlantic this month as western allies work to answer Russia's invasion.
The Prime Minister's Workplace mentioned Monday that Trudeau will handle the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday, the place he'll stress the significance of each continents working collectively to defend democracy.
The prime minister will then be a part of different NATO leaders on Thursday to co-ordinate the army alliance's response to Russia's assault on Ukraine. He may even participate in a gathering of G7 leaders earlier than returning to Canada on Friday.
Trudeau was final in Europe solely two weeks in the past, the place he held conferences in London, Berlin, Warsaw, Poland and visited Canadian troops main a multinational battlegroup in Latvia.
The prime minister introduced new assist for NATO and Ukraine at the moment, however he may face added strain from different leaders throughout this new journey to extend Canadian defence spending.
In her speech, Joly mentioned how the invasion of Ukraine had turned geopolitics on its head, prompting western international locations to reassess their army spending.
"I feel our Armed Forces must be higher geared up beneath the circumstances," she mentioned, noting Germany's determination to spice up its defence finances to 2 per cent of its whole finances. A number of different NATO international locations are making related strikes, she added.
Joly didn't point out what Canada's plans are, noting these selections are as much as Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. However there's little doubt, Joly mentioned, that "the world has modified since Feb. 24, the date of the Russian invasion, and we are going to pay attention to it."
She additionally insisted that China play its function on the United Nations Safety Council, noting the nation has abstained on votes because the starting of the battle. Joly advised the group there are considerations that Russian success in Ukraine may encourage China to take an analogous strategy in Taiwan.
"China should play a constructive function as a member of the Safety Council, should be certain that the battle doesn't escalate … and that's the place that I've requested my diplomats to relay to Chinese language diplomats," she advised reporters.
Joly mentioned sources have been added to Canadian embassies in Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia, together with prolonged hours to cope with Ukrainian refugees. Different embassies in Europe, notably in Paris, London and Rome, have been mandated to assist these in international locations bordering Ukraine.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed March 21, 2022.
-- With recordsdata from Lee Berthiaume in Ottawa.
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