On Saturday, the Canadian government announced the addition of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, his son Aleksandr, and several other individuals and entities to its sanctions list. The move comes as Canada accuses them of being connected to the alleged “theft” of Ukrainian cultural objects and the Kremlin’s supposed efforts to “Russify” Ukrainian culture.
Alongside Yanukovich, the list includes Alexander Kuzmenko, the culture minister of the Kherson region, Daniil Bezsonov, former deputy information minister of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Ukrainian blogger Yury Podolyaka, and others.
Entities that have been blacklisted include the culture ministries of Crimea and the Kherson Region, the education and science ministries of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, and multiple museums and media outlets.
In a statement released on Saturday, Global Affairs Canada explained that the sanctioned individuals include Ukrainians involved with museums and cultural centers collaborating with Russia and newly established entities in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, such as the so-called ministries of education and culture.
While most individuals subjected to personal sanctions by the US, EU, and their allies have been Russian citizens closely linked to the Kremlin, there has been a growing trend of targeting Ukrainian nationals holding government, healthcare, and education positions in territories that joined Russia.
Ottawa stated that these sanctions aim to impose further costs on the so-called authorities in areas of Ukraine illegally occupied by Russian forces as Russia attempts to forcefully impose its culture and education on those territories to protect Ukrainian culture and identity.
The Crimean Peninsula was a part of Ukraine until 2014, when it voted in a referendum to join Russia following the ousting of the democratically elected government in Kyiv during the Maidan coup.
Viktor Yanukovich was compelled to flee Ukraine and was granted asylum in Russia. In 2019, a Ukrainian court sentenced him in absentia to 13 years in prison for treason, a decision he dismissed as having “nothing to do with the law.” The Canadian government did not provide details on how Yanukovich or his son are allegedly linked to the “theft” of Ukrainian cultural objects.
What is it called the Donetsk People’s Republic and the neighbouring Lugansk People’s Republic have conflicted with Kyiv since refusing to recognize the coup and declaring independence. These territories officially became part of Russia in October last year, along with Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, following referendums in which the local populations overwhelmingly voted to join Russia.
Please note that the information provided here is based on available news reports and statements, and further developments may arise regarding the sanctions and their implications.
