Justin Trudeau & More Canadian Officials Have Just Been Put On Russia's 'Black List'

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and Defence Minister Anita Anand are among the Canadians newly added to a Russian "black list," which will prevent them from entering the country.

On Tuesday, March 15, the Russian foreign ministry announced in a tweet that the three Canadian politicians would be prohibited from entering the Russian Federation.

The notice added that they had been added to the "black list" effective immediately.

According to an online Russian newspaper, per CBC News, as many as 313 Canadians have now been sanctioned by the country, although it's not yet clear exactly what the sanctions entail or what the possible impact is.

The move is reported to be in response to Canada's sanctions towards Russia and the country's stance on the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Like many countries worldwide, Canada has placed sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as some of his close political allies, other government officials and Russian oligarchs.

The "black list" announcement came around the same time that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Justin Trudeau and the House of Commons.

He asked the Canadian PM to consider what it would feel like if Canada was bombed, while also thanking the country for its support during the crisis and pleading for additional help.

So far, Canada has ordered sanctions on Russia, as well as provided military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

CBC News reports that Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who previously worked in Moscow, was secretly added to the same list around nine years ago after Canada imposed sanctions on some Russian entities.

Freeland previously described it as being "an honour" to be on Putin's sanction list.

On Monday, March 7, Canada was also added to Russia's "unfriendly countries" list, which means corporate deals with listed countries will now have to be approved by a government commission.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.