Apr 28 2022 — Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says she supports the "intent" of a bill from an independent senator to confiscate seized Russian assets even though the government's version of such a law differs in one key area. Joly essentially endorsed the work of Sen. Ratna Omidvar, who has a bill with that goal that […]
Apr 27 2022 — Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — The federal government is working with G7 allies to craft new legislation that would allow for not just the freezing of sanctioned Russian assets, but seizing them on behalf of Ukrainian war victims. The recent federal budget declared Canada's intention to pursue the seizure-of-assets route, which has been the subject of a bill […]
Apr 26 2022 — Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — Bob Rae, the Canadian ambassador to the United Nations, denounced as undemocratic the Security Council's veto power as the General Assembly voted to subject the world's most powerful body to more public scrutiny. The General Assembly adopted a consensus motion Tuesday that would require any of the five permanent veto-wielding members of the […]
Apr 25 2022 — Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — With pandemic restrictions easing across Canada, a House of Commons committee was warned today that disruptive new variants of COVID-19 will continue to emerge every few months unless the low vaccination rate in poorer countries rises. The message was delivered to the Commons foreign affairs committee by the head of Gavi, the international […]
Apr 24 2022 — Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — An independent senator is calling on the House of Commons to fast-track a new law she's proposing that would confiscate billions of dollars of frozen Russian assets and use them to rebuild Ukraine. Sen. Ratna Omidvar's bill — titled "An Act respecting the repurposing of certain seized, frozen or sequestered assets" — is […]
Apr 21 2022 — Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — Russia targeted 61 Canadians — from politicians to journalists — with fresh sanctions on Thursday over Canada's actions against the country for its invasion of Ukraine. Many of those named, including provincial premiers, military personnel, political staff and journalists, treated their inclusion on the latest list from President Vladimir Putin as a proverbial […]
Apr 5 2022 — Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — One of Canada's most influential business lobby groups is making an unprecedented request for increased defence spending in Thursday's federal budget because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Business Council of Canada says it is time for Canada to commit to matching the NATO target on defence spending of two per cent of […]
Apr 4 2022 — Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is condemning Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians as abhorrent and senseless and says new Canadian sanctions are coming against Russia as a result. "This weekend, the world witnessed an abhorrent and senseless attack on innocent civilian lives in Bucha," said Joly during a trip to Helsinki Monday. Her […]
Apr 4 2022 — Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is condemning Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians as abhorrent and senseless and says new Canadian sanctions are coming against Russia as a result. "This weekend, the world witnessed an abhorrent and senseless attack on innocent civilian lives in Bucha," said Joly during a trip to Helsinki Monday. Her […]
Mar 31 2022 — Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — Russia's blocking of humanitarian aid to Ukraine and its bombing of medical facilities should be the subjects of an international war crimes investigation, says Canada's international development minister. Harjit Sajjan offered that view as a half dozen extra RCMP investigators head to The Hague to assist in the International Criminal Court investigation of […]
Mar 29 2022 — Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — Canada is sending additional RCMP officers to assist the International Criminal Court investigation into possible war crimes by Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said Tuesday the "war machine" of President Vladimir Putin is destroying houses, hospitals and schools. Canada was one of several dozen countries to refer […]
Mar 28 2022 — Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that while the Russian invasion may be driving up energy prices, it is still providing the impetus to drive the world towards developing greener energy sources. "The resolve of the world to reduce its dependency on Russian oil and gas is morphing into a heightened urgency for the […]
Mar 24 2022 — Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — A potential clash over hormone-treated Canadian beef is emerging as a sticking point as free trade talks between Canada and Britain formally begin. In an interview with The Canadian Press, U.K. International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan confirmed her government would not compromise on allowing hormone-treated Canadian beef into Britain. "In terms of hormone-treated […]
Mar 11 2022 — Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — WARSAW, Poland — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau capped a weeklong European trip Friday by slapping new sanctions on the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who has become an international poster boy for the largesse that enabled President Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine. Abramovich is a major shareholder in Evraz, a British multinational manufacturing company that […]
Mar 9 2022 — Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — BERLIN — Canada's foreign affairs minister called for a ceasefire in Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Wednesday, arguing the Ukrainian government needs the breathing room as it heads into talks with the Putin regime. "We need to make sure to support Ukrainians while diplomatic talks are happening by imposing maximum pressure … it’s more than […]