• A Canadian official attending Russia Day celebrations at the country’s consulate in Canada was “inappropriate”.
• The dinner was attended by a deputy protocol chief in Canada’s foreign affairs department.
• Since the Ukraine crisis began, Canada has sanctioned over 1,000 people and organisations with ties to Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly stated on Sunday that a Canadian official attending Russia Day celebrations at the country’s consulate in Canada was “inappropriate.”

The dinner was attended by Yasemin Heinbecker, a deputy protocol chief in Canada’s foreign affairs department, as well as representatives from Egypt, Pakistan, and various African countries, according to a story in the Globe and Mail newspaper.

In a Twitter post, Joly stated, “No Canadian representative should have attended the event organised in the Russian embassy, and no Canadian representative will attend this kind of event again.”

Joly also reaffirmed Canada’s support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion, which Moscow has described as a “special military operation.”

Since the war began on February 24, Canada has sanctioned over 1,000 people and organisations with ties to Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.