Canada neglects its sovereignty by approving transfer of land mines to Kiev — diplomat

OTTAWA:  Canada forgot about its sovereignty by approving the supply of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine by the US, despite the fact that Ottawa itself condemns the use of such mines, Russian Ambassador to Canada, Oleg Stepanov, told TASS.

"There is no talk of any commitment to principles on the part of Canada, despite the fact that the Ottawa Convention [the United Nations’ Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines - TASS] has been in effect since 1999, and the local establishment has long been proud of such an achievement," Stepanov said, commenting on the corresponding statement by the Canadian authorities.

According to the diplomat, "[Canadian Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau's cabinet has long forgotten about Canadian sovereignty," since the authorities of the country have long acted, "especially in security matters, according to the rule 'what Uncle Sam says, so Ottawa will do' and don’t blush about this."

Earlier on Wednesday, Canadian National Defense Minister William Blair said that his country supports the U.S. decision to transfer anti-personnel mines to Kiev, despite the fact that Ottawa has long been against the use of such weapons in armed conflicts. The Pentagon previously confirmed that the U.S. administration has authorized the use of anti-personnel mines in Ukraine.

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