Russia-Ukraine War: UK PM meets Dutch & Canadian PMs; calls for severe sanctions on Russia

Boris Johnson, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte are having a press conference today as the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 12th day. Johnson met with Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, and Mark Rutte, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, earlier today, March 7, to discuss toughening the West's response to the invasion.

Sanctions must not pose "unmanageable risks" to European energy supplies: Rutte

Morover, in a latest development, Rutte stated during the press conference that sanctions must not pose "unmanageable risks" to European energy supplies. According to him, Europe must gradually lessen its dependency on Russian energy. Moreover, PM Boris Johnson claims that shutting down Russian oil and gas imports can't be done overnight. However, he believes that all countries should be headed in the same direction and should also speed up the process. The UK PM claims that there is no contradiction between reducing reliance on Russian hydrocarbons and completely eliminating dependency on hydrocarbons.

However, according to Trudeau, there is a movement in Europe, with a recognition that Russia is not a trustworthy ally. He claims that Canada imports only a little proportion of Russian oil. It is worth noting that earlier today, March 7, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned against banning Russian oil and gas as part of Western sanctions against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, saying that doing so would jeopardise Europe's energy security.

Canada to impose new set of sanctions on 10 Russian individuals

During the news conference, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remarked, "We will continue to defend democracy and continue to make sure that Putin is held accountable. Today Canada is announcing new sanctions on 10 individuals complicit in this unjustified invasion."

Moreover, PM Trudeau expressed his delight at spending the opening day of his European tour alongside UK PM Johnson. He also claims to have had a meeting with the Queen. Former and current prominent government officials, oligarchs, and supporters of the regime are among those on the list. He claims the names came from a list compiled by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

In addition, Johnson has stated numerous times that UK is leading international efforts to punish President Putin for his invasion of Ukraine. The UK has imposed sanctions on a number of Russian banks and enterprises, claiming that the actions have slowed Russian economic activity by more than 250 billion pounds ($330 million). However, it has sanctioned only a few Kremlin-linked individuals with assets in the UK, significantly fewer than the European Union or the United States.

Image: AP