Canada’s FM: Russia is looking for pretext to invade Ukraine

“There is no provocation on the part of Ukraine and the West. Russia is clearly putting into place false flag operations and is looking for a pretext,” Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly told National Post in an interview.

According to her, Canada and the United States have very similar views on the situation in Ukraine. “I’m very concerned. And that’s why I’ve been saying that threat is real, and imminent,” she added.

Joly also noted that Canada had already prepared a broad package of sanctions against Russia, which will be ready to go on “day one” if Russia invades Ukraine.

“Our sanctions package is ready. We’ve worked with the U.S., we’ve worked with the U.K., we’ve worked with Australia as well and we’ve been sharing information with the E.U.,” the minister stressed.

Joly declined to detail what the sanctions packages contained but noted that there was a “vast array” of tools that targeted a host of Russian individuals and organizations. She confirmed the tool box included “Magnitsky-like” sanctions, which involve the seizing of assets and travel bans on specific individuals.

Photo credit: ADRIAN WYLD/THE CANADIAN PRESS/FILE

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