Minister Joly announces additional sanctions in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine

News release

May 21, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing additional sanctions on two individuals and six entities under the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations. These sanctions are being imposed in coordination with Canada’s international partners.

Today’s sanctions target individuals and entities that facilitated the illegal transportation of weapons, including ballistic missiles, from North Korea to Russia. There is recorded evidence that these weapons were used by the Kremlin to conduct its war of aggression against Ukraine in 2023 and 2024. Not only is Russia’s attack on Ukraine illegal, but the procurement of weapons it is using contravenes UN Security Council resolutions related to North Korea. These resolutions expressly prohibit all UN Member States from procuring arms and related materiel from North Korea.

The two individuals sanctioned today are senior representatives of Russian enterprises that are closely linked with the Russian military and involved in the transportation of weapons from North Korea to Russia. The six entities sanctioned today are Russian shipping companies that own, manage and/or operate planes and cargo vessels that were used to facilitate and complete arms transfers from North Korea to Russia.

The measures announced today seek to undermine Russia’s ability to acquire North Korean weapons which are used to advance its military objectives in its brutal war of aggression against Ukraine.  

Quotes

“Our sanctions send a clear message: Canada condemns Russia’s military cooperation with North Korea, which has consequences for security in Europe, the Indo-Pacific and around the world. Canada remains unwavering in its commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and its people in the face of the Kremlin’s brutal actions.”

- Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Quick facts

  • Since 2014, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 3,000 individuals and entities in Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine for their complicity in the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and the gross and systematic human rights violations. Many of these sanctions have been implemented in coordination with Canada’s allies and partners.

  • These sanctions close gaps with like-minded partners that have already imposed sanctions related to the arms trade between North Korea and Russia under their own sanction regimes. These partners include Australia, the European Union, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States.

  • Canada will continue to work with its allies and partners to robustly implement UN Security Council sanctions on North Korea and to counter its efforts to evade them. In addition to the existing sanctions imposed under Canada’s United Nations Act, since 2011, Canada has imposed its own comprehensive sanctions under the Special Economic Measures Act, including a ban on all trade with North Korea.

  • Since January 2022, Canada has committed more than $14 billion in funding for financial, military, humanitarian, development and immigration assistance for Ukraine.

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