Canada recalls ambassador to Russia over Ukraine issue

Canada has recalled its ambassador to Russia over the crisis in Ukraine with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper saying in a statement that Ottawa is recalling its ambassador from Moscow.

Harper also threatened on Saturday that Canada could join the United States in refusing to attend the G8 summit in Sochi, Russia, in June.

The Canadian premier also condemned Russia’s “military intervention” in Ukraine.

“We join our allies in condemning in the strongest terms [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin’s military intervention in Ukraine,” Harper stated.

He also raised concerns over Russia’s “clear violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Harper called on Russia to “immediately” withdraw its troops from Ukraine, warning that should Moscow push forward with military action, it will lead to “negative consequences” for the Canada-Russia ties.

The remarks came after the Russian parliament on Saturday approved a presidential request to deploy troops to Ukraine’s Crimea.

“Parliamentarians are calling on the president to take measures to stabilize the situation in Crimea and use all available means to protect the people of the Crimea from tyranny and violence,” said Russia’s Lower House Speaker Sergey Naryshkin.

The decision by the Russian parliament also came at the request of Crimean Prime Minister Sergei Aksenov, who asked Putin to help restore “peace and calm” to the Black Sea peninsula.

Putin said the mission is necessary to protect ethnic Russians and Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in Crimea.

The Russian president has yet to decide on the troop deployment, but reports emerging from the region indicate that two Russian anti-submarine warships have appeared off the Ukrainian coast.