Canada closes embassy in Ukraine, relocates diplomatic staff amid fears of war

Canada closes embassy in Ukraine, relocates diplomatic staff amid fears of war | iNFOnews.ca
In this photo provided by Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Press Office, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba attend their news conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Press Office via AP

OTTAWA – Canada has shuttered its embassy in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and relocated its diplomatic staff to a temporary office in the western part of the country amid fears of a war with Russia.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly announced the move this afternoon in a statement that blamed Russia for the deteriorating security situation in Ukraine.

Russia has mobilized 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine and is demanding a series of concessions from the NATO military alliance, which includes Canada.

While Russia has denied wanting a war, diplomatic talks between Moscow and the West have failed to resolve the standoff and NATO leaders have started warning of a conflict in Ukraine.

Joly announced the closure of the embassy in Kyiv shortly after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

A summary of the conversation from the Prime Minister's Office said Trudeau emphasized Canada's support for Ukraine and promised a Russian invasion would be met with economic sanctions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 12, 2022.

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