Canada increases sanctions against Russia in response to Ukrainian conflict

 Prime Minister Stephen Harper responds to a question during Question Period in the House of Commons in Ottawa on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

The Canadian Press 
Canada says it is intensifying economic sanctions against Russian individuals and companies in response to the tense situation in eastern Ukraine.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says the move is being made in co-ordination with Canada's partners in Europe and the United States in response to what he says is Russia's backing of rebel forces in eastern Ukraine.

"Canada's position remains clear: we recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and will never recognize the illegal Russian occupation of any part of the country," Harper said in a statement.

Ukraine cuts electricity power supply to Crimea

Ukraine briefly severed electricity to the Crimean peninsula, nine months after it was annexed by Russia, in a pointed reminder of the territory’s reliance on Ukrainian energy sources, New York Times reports.

The electricity shut-off came as Moscow threatened a greater rift with the West if Ukraine attempted to make good on its intention to join NATO.

The Russian deputy defense minister, Anatoly Antonov condemned the decision on Tuesday by the Ukrainian Parliament to abandon Ukraine’s nonaligned status and declared that NATO was attempting to use Ukraine as a “forward line for confronting Russia.”

Ukraine’s ambitions to join the Western military alliance have been presented as a direct military threat to Russia by President Vladimir Putin and top security officials.

Canadians of ukrainian descent answering call of the homeland

Toronto resident Krystina Waler, left, with Ganniday, a Ukrainian soldier who was wounded in the current conflict with Russia, in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Torstar News Service
Marko Suprun of Winnipeg joined the Maidan uprising more than a year ago in Ukraine, and he’s never left.

Sunnybrook surgeon Dr. Oleh Antonyshyn led a team of 25 physicians, nurses and medical professionals from across Canada to Kyiv last month to operate on people burned and disfigured by injuries.

And Eugene Melnyk, owner of the Ottawa Senators and supporter of orphaned children in Ukraine for two decades, couldn’t say no when he was asked to lend a hand to support Antohyshyn’s work.

From fancy dinners attended by the likes of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and hockey great Wayne Gretzky, to online fundraising campaigns and bake sales, the 1.2 million Canadians of Ukrainian heritage have opened their hearts and wallets, donating money, time and ingenuity to help win a war in another land.

Russia President Putin Comments On The Ruble Collapse And The Ukraine Crisis

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014. The Russian economy will rebound and the ruble will stabilize, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday at his annual press conference, he also said Ukraine must remain one political entity, voicing hope that the crisis could be solved through peace talks. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

 A fact-checking look at some of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statements on the ruble collapse and the Ukrainian crisis from his annual news conference Thursday:
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ON THE RUSSIAN ECONOMY:

PUTIN: “We will rely on these reserves. And I’m sure we will be able to confidently solve major social issues, will be diversifying the economy and, inevitably, I repeat, the situation will go back to normal.”

THE FACTS: With the ruble losing about half its value since January, a staggering capital outflow and flagging investment, experts are predicting the Russian economy will plunge into recession next year. Despite Putin’s repeated pledges to steer Russia’s economy away from oil and gas, those two industries still account for more than half of government revenues.

PM Stephen Harper Says He Won't Drop Ukraine Whether It Takes 5 Months Or 50 Years

Stephen Harper said Sunday it's important to keep up the pressure on Ukraine as he discussed his celebrated showdown with the Russian president at the Group of 20 summit in Australia.

Speaking to the Canadian media at the end of the meeting, the prime minister grinned when asked about his admonishment to Vladimir Putin to get out of Ukraine, though quickly checked himself.

"It is necessary for all of us to keep the pressure on Mr. Putin and his regime and to do so over the long term, to make it clear that it will not be business as usual," he said.

"We cannot have a major power in this day and age seize the sovereign territory of another country, and simply move on as if nothing's happened."

If the world community eases up on Russia for its annexation of Crimea earlier this year, he added, it will only whet Putin's appetite for similar aggression.

"We send the message, as I think we have in Canada, that whether it takes fives months or 50 years, we're not going to drop the subject until Ukrainian territory is returned to Ukrainians."