Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday announced a ban on “all crude oil imports” from Russia, “an industry that has greatly benefited President Putin and his oligarchs.”
“This sector accounts for more than a third of the revenue of the Russian federal budget. Although Canada has imported only very limited quantities in recent years, this measure sends a strong message,” the head of the Canadian government told AFP, according to Agerpres.
In 2019, Canada imported 17,870 barrels of Russian crude oil a day, about 2.6% of Canada’s total oil imports, a total that fell to near zero in 2020, according to the Canadian government.
Also Monday, Canada announced a new arms shipment to Ukraine, including anti-tank weapons that will be delivered “as soon as possible,” said Armed Forces Minister Anita Anand.
“It simply came to our notice then that Putin had made a big mistake. He thought it would be easy to conquer Ukraine and capture its capital. He believed that the West would be divided, and he believed that he had planned all the sanctions he would impose. He was wrong on both sides,” said Trudeau.