Russia Retaliates; Sanctions 13 Canadian Officials

With the list of high-ranking US officials running dry, it appears Russia has turned its attention, in the tit-for-tat sanction battle, to Canada. Following Canada’s sanctions against 10 top Russian an Ukrainian officials last week, Russia has placed travel bans on 13 Canadian lawmakers and officials.

*RUSSIA SETS SANCTIONS AGAINST 13 CANADIANS IN RETALIATORY STEP

The list includes aides to PM Harper and the head of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, and is, according to Russia’s foreign minister, a response to the “unacceptable action by the Canadian side that has inflicted serious damage to bilateral relations.”

Russia announced on Monday that it was barring 13 Canadian officials, lawmakers and public figures from the country in retaliation for sanctions imposed by Canada over Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

Full list of persons sanctioned indicated on the Foreign Ministry’s website :

1. Christine Hogan – ‎Foreign & Defence Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister at Privy Council Office

2. Wayne G.Wouters – public servant and Clerk of the Cabinet. Canada’s most senior civil servant.

3. Jean-Francois Tremblay – Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (Operations), Privy Council Office

4. Andrew Sheer – Canadian Member of Parliament and the Speaker of the House of Commons. At age 32, he became the youngest person to serve in this capacity in Canadian parliamentary history

5. Peter Van Loan – Canadian politician who is the Member of Parliament for the electoral district of York—Simcoe. He has been the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons since May 18, 2011

6. Raynell Andreychuk – Canadian Senator, lawyer, and former judge and diplomat

7. Dean Allison – Canadian politician. He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2004 federal election for the new riding of Niagara West—Glanbrook

8. Paul Dewar – Canadian educator and politician from Ottawa, Ontario. He is the New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for the riding of Ottawa Centre

9. Irwin Cotler – Member of Parliament for Mount Royal. He served as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada from 2003 until the Liberal government of Paul Martin lost power following the 2006 federal election.

10. Ted Opitz – Canadian politician and a retired Canadian Forces Lieutenant-Colonel who was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 2011 election.

11. Christia Freeland – Canadian writer, journalist and politician. Freeland has served in various editorial positions with the Financial Times, The Globe and Mail and Thomson Reuters, where she was the managing director and editor for consumer news before she announced her resignation to run for the Liberal Party nomination in the by-election to replace Bob Rae as the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre.

12. James Bezan – Canadian politician. In 2004, he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a Conservative.

13. Paul Grod – President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress

Intriguingly, they sanctioned 13 Canadians and only 9 Americans…?!