Putin's ex-wife not immune from Canadian sanctions: foreign affairs minister's office

Photo: The Canadian Press

Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses a meeting of the leaders of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, May 16, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP

A spokesman for the foreign affairs minister says Canada has not ruled out imposing sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin's ex-wife Lyudmila Ocheretnaya.

The Russian president's ex-wife, who divorced him in 2014, is the mother of his two adult daughters who have already been sanctioned by Canada.

Mélanie Joly said last week that Putin's alleged girlfriend Alina Kabaeva, who has just been sanctioned by the U.K. along with Ocheretnaya, is not immune from Canadian sanctions.

Joly’s spokesman Adrien Blanchard says all options are on the table for a fresh round of sanctions, and the goal is to ensure there are no loopholes, including in Putin's inner circle.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 1,000 entities and people, including Russian oligarchs and allies of Putin in Belarus.

Blanchard says Canada's aim is to be completely aligned with its allies on sanctions, so those responsible for the invasion of Ukraine have nowhere to hide.