Ukraine Envoy Urges Ottawa To Reduce Russia's Diplomatic Presence In Canada

Ukraine's Ambassador-designate to Canada Yuliia Kovaliv on Monday urged Ottawa to downsize Russia's diplomatic presence in the country

TORONTO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 02nd May, 2022) Ukraine's Ambassador-designate to Canada Yuliia Kovaliv on Monday urged Ottawa to downsize Russia's diplomatic presence in the country.

"We do hope that Canada will follow the other partners and substantially decrease Russia's diplomatic presence in Canada," Kovaliv told the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.

Several countries, including Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, have expelled Russian diplomats since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine.

Russian Ambassador to Canada Oleg Stepanov has said that the possible expulsion of Russian diplomats from the country will meet a similar response from Moscow.

On February 24, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine in response to requests by the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics to protect them from intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine and solely targets the country's military infrastructure.

In response, Canada, the United States and their allies have imposed comprehensive sanctions against Russia and supplied the Ukrainian military with offensive as well as defensive weapons systems in the amount of tens of billions of Dollars.