OTTAWA-
Canada has imposed sanctions on Alina Kabaeva, who is said to be the girlfriend of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The former Olympic gymnast is one of 22 close collaborators of the Russian regime who have been added to the list of sanctions for the country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The UK sanctioned Kabaeva earlier this month and it was also reported that his name appeared on a draft list of individuals who could be sanctioned by the European Union.
At the time, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly did not rule out a similar move, saying Canada wanted to keep pace with its allies in imposing sanctions on people with ties to Putin.
The latest round of sanctions, which also includes four financial institutions, went into effect last Friday.
Canada has sanctioned more than 1,500 people and entities since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on May 31, 2022.