Moments ago, the Russian Justice Ministry officially labeled the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, the Russian-Canadian Democratic Alliance, and the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs “undesirable”. This follows the Russian Prosecutor-General’ Office’s March 18th announcement that the aforementioned groups would be added. This action by the Justice Ministry confirms the designation. The announcement reads below:
“The Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation has included three Canadian NGOs in the register of undesirable ones. For example, the list includes the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, the Russian-Canadian Democratic Alliance and the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs.”
No official reasoning was given by the Justice Ministry. However, in the Prosecutor-General’s statement, these groups were accused of being part of a broad Western campaign to “discredit the Russian Federation and incite anti-Russian sentiments.”
Bi-lateral relations between the Russian Federation and Canada are currently the lowest they have ever been. Canada was the first G7 nation to seize Russian assets and divert them to fund the reconstruction of Ukraine, as well as the war effort against the Russian Federation. In June 2023, the Russian Foreign ministry announced that relations are “close to being severed”.
By including these organizations in the Undesirable List, each is now effectively blacklisted and will be subject to heavy fines or arrest of employees if it continues to operate within the borders of the Russian Federation.
