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Feds Announce $100M In Humanitarian Aid For Ukraine

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Canadian officials have announced $100 million for humanitarian assistance to aid Ukraine and a ban on Russian ships in Canadian ports and internal waters.

A pair of federal announcements on Tuesday are the latest actions to respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

At a briefing, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland did not mince words when addressing the matter.

“President [Vladimir] Putin has made a grave and historic error. This is not the behaviour of a superpower, this is the last gasp of a failing kleptocracy, and President Putin has now become an international pariah,” said Freeland, adding more sanctions will be announced in the days and weeks ahead.

International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan said the additional $100 million will support life-saving services such as shelter, water, sanitation, and food assistance. Ministers also announced 1600 fragmentation vests and nearly 400,000 individual meal packs to aid Ukraine.

Earlier in the day, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced Canada will ban Russian-owned or registered ships and fishing vessels in Canadian ports and internal waters. It’s expected this measure will come into effect later this week.

“Russia must be held accountable for its aggression in Ukraine. Canada will continue to do what is necessary to respond,” Alghabra said in a statement.

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Canada, U.S. Impose Further Sanctions Against Russia

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A pair of North American leaders are levying further sanctions against President Vladimir Putin for the attack on Ukraine.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stressed that Canada will punish Russia with financial penalties against 58 individuals and entities as well as the halting of all export permits.

“We condemn unequivocally this attack on Ukraine, this invasion of Ukraine, but also the violation of the UN Charter, the principles, the rule of law internationally, and we will respond forcefully to make sure that Russia fails,” Trudeau stressed during an afternoon news conference.

Russian troops launched the assault earlier on Thursday that has reportedly left 40 Ukrainian soldiers dead.

United States President Joe Biden told reporters that the four large Russian banks will face sanctions (including VTB and SberBank) and there will a restriction applied to Russia’s sovereign debt to state-owned enterprises, companies whose assets exceed $1.4 trillion.

“Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war. And now he and his country will bear the consequences,” Biden said.

Both leaders, when asked whether this means war, would only say that troops will be in Europe to defend the NATO allies and reassure those allies in the East.