Canada will not follow the path traced by several European countries which recently decided to expel dozens of Russian diplomats from their territory, at least for now.
• Read also: [EN DIRECT] 42nd day of war in Ukraine: here are all the latest developments
• Read also: By waging war in Ukraine, Putin shortened his time in power, opponent says
“When we ask this question about Russian diplomats, we are also asking the question about Canadian diplomats in Russia,” Justin Trudeau said before entering caucus on Wednesday.
The Prime Minister, however, mentioned that the expulsion of staff is assessed by the government, stressing that it is necessary to “evaluate the positive and the negative” of such a decision.
“We obviously want to continue to have a presence in Russia, and therefore, we must judge the symbolic importance of excluding diplomats here.”
According to Mr. Trudeau, “Canadian diplomats in Russia are doing an extremely important job of knowing what is happening in Russia, of building relationships in times of crisis and war”.
In Brussels for a NATO meeting on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said the Russian ambassador to Canada had been invited to a meeting “to ensure that he is presented with the evidence of what happened in Irpin and Boutcha”.
Canada has already reduced its presence on Russian soil since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, according to Mr. Trudeau.
Since Monday, at least six European countries have decided to send Russian diplomatic officers home.
Italy, the last in the running, announced on Tuesday the dismissal of 30 diplomats on security grounds, condemning in passing the “war crimes” committed by Russia in the suburbs of Kyiv. Prime Minister Mario Draghi urged Vladimir Putin to stop the “massacre of civilians”.
The announcement was made after similar decisions by Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Estonia and Latvia. Germany and France got the ball rolling at the start of the week.
“Reducing the possibilities of diplomatic communication in the context of an unprecedentedly difficult crisis is a short-sighted decision that will further complicate our communication, necessary to find a solution,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry told reporters on Tuesday. Peskov, according to “Reuters”.
Reference-www.journaldemontreal.com