Canadians told to avoid Ukraine
The Canadian government has warned its citizens against non-essential travel to Ukraine in a new travel advisory citing “Russian aggression” in the area.
The Canadian government changed the risk level for travel to Ukraine on Saturday, citing “ongoing Russian aggression and military buildup in and round the country” as the reason behind the update.
Canada is following in the footsteps of its southern neighbor. Washington urged Americans to “reconsider travel [to Ukraine] due to increased threats from Russia” in its own travel advisory from December, citing reports that Moscow was “planning for significant military action against Ukraine.”
Multiple Western officials, media outlets, and pundits have warned in recent months of a potential invasion of Ukraine by Russia – the proof being troop movements within the country’s vast western territory. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan claimed this week that Russia is “laying the groundwork” for an invasion. In a statement on Sunday, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced she would be visiting Ukraine this week to discuss ways to deter potential “aggressive actions” by Russia.
The Kremlin has consistently denied allegations that it’s planning an invasion, insisting that the movement of its troops is a sovereign matter.
In an interview on CNN on Sunday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that Moscow reserves the right to respond to future NATO deployments if no security deal is reached between Russia and the US-led block, but stressed that military action in Ukraine is not on the table. Speaking about the possibility of a military scenario in Ukraine, he stated that it would be “madness to do that.”
