OTTAWA –
Russia’s ambassador in Ottawa says Canada is a “very dangerous country” for Russians to visit.
Oleg Stepanov says Canada keeps sanctioning people and claimed that Russians are regularly experiencing racism.
In a Russian-language interview last Friday, Stepanov said, “I would not recommend (visiting Canada) for tourism, education or business.”
However, he added that most Canadians treat Russians well, and Moscow’s travel advisory for Canada only warns of street gangs and a “rather harsh climate.”
Stepanov says relations between Ottawa and Moscow are in a deep freeze and claimed that Russia has been unable to open a consulate in Vancouver.
He says Russia is open to dialogue with Canada if it stops echoing U.S. policy, but Ottawa says change will only happen when Russia ends its invasion of Ukraine and compensates that country for losses.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 13, 2023
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