Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is sending hundreds more troops to eastern Europe and imposing new sanctions on Russia.
This comes in response to Russia’s deployment of forces into Ukraine.
Trudeau says Russian President Vladimir Putin has violated Russia’s obligations under international law adding Canada and its allies will defend democracy.
Trudeau says up to 460 more members of the Canadian Armed Forces are being sent to Latvia and the surrounding region to bolster NATO in response to what he described as a Russian invasion of Ukraine.Trudeau also says Canada is taking steps with its allies to isolate Russia financially by imposing economic sanctions against some Russian parliamentarians, business leaders and companies.
Canada will ban the purchase of Russian sovereign debt and any financial dealing with the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday recognizing those two regions as independent before ordering Russian troops into those areas.
United States President Joe Biden says the US is taking strong action against Russia after its moves in eastern Ukraine after Russian lawmakers authorized President Vladimir Putin to use military force outside their country.
Ukraine’s president says he is calling up some of the country’s military reservists as the threat of a Russian invasion grows, but says there is no need for full military mobilization. Volodymyr Zelenskyy says in a video address to his nation that he has signed a decree to that effect.