Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images
In an act of retaliation, Russia announced Monday it is indefinitely barring nine Canadian officials from entering Russian territory, Reuters reports.
Why it matters: Back in March, Canada imposed sanctions on nine Russian officials due to the "gross and systematic human rights violations" committed in the country, highlighting the attack on opposition leader Alexei Navalny, which the Canadians called "trend of deepening authoritarianism" in Russia.
- The new sanctions target several high-level officials in the Canadian government, including Canada's Justice Minister and Attorney General David Lametti, Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc, and Rear Adm. Scott Bishop, the head of the military intelligence command, per the Associated Press.
The big picture: Russia's Foreign Ministry said the sanctions were a response to the "unlawful sanctions" that Canada had previously imposed, per Reuters.
Be smart: Russia is no stranger to imposing tit-for-tat sanctions. In April the U.S. and E.U. imposed sanctions on Russia and a day later Russia retaliated with its own sanctions.