The Special Economic Measures

On March 17, 2014, the Canadian Government announced that it intended to impose economic sanctions against Ukraine through the Special Economic Measures (Ukraine) Regulations (the "Ukraine Regulations"). The Ukraine Regulations impose an asset freeze on a list of designated persons.

On July 11, 2014 the list of designated individuals was expanded from 28 to 41. Those designated persons are:

1. Serhiy Valeriyovich AKSYONOV
2. Volodymyr Andriyovych KONSTANTYNOV
3. Viktor Volodymyrovich MEDVEDCHUK
4. Rustam Ilmirovich TEMIRGALIEV
5. Deniz Valentinovich BEREZOVSKIY
6. Aleksei Mikhailovich CHALIY
7. Pyotr Anatoliyovych ZIMA
8. Yuriy ZHEREBTSOV
9. Sergey Pavlovych TSEKOV
10. Mikhail MALYSHEV
11. Valery MEDVEDEV
12. Olga Fedorovna KOVATIDI
13. German PROKOPIV
14. Valeriy BOLOTOV
15. Andriy PURGIN
16. Denys PUSHYLIN
17. Sergey Gennadevich TSYPLAKOV
18. Petr Grigorievich JAROSH
19. Oleg Grigorievich KOZYURA
20. Viacheslav PONOMARIOV
21. Igor Mykolaiovych BEZLER

22. Igor KAKIDZYANOV
23. Oleg TSARIOV
24. Roman LYAGIN
25. Aleksandr MALYKHIN
26. Natalia Vladimirovna POKLONSKAYA
27. Igor Sergeievich SHEVCHENKO
28. Viktor Yuriiovych ANOSOV
29. Viacheslav Anatoliiovych APRAKSIMOV
30. Fedir Dmytrovych BEREZIN
31. Ruslan Yunirovish ILKAEV
32. Valery Vladimirovich KAUROV
33. Oleksandr Sergiyovych KHODAKOVSKYI
34. Mykola Ivanovych KOZITSYN
35. Oleksii Borysovych MOZGOVYI
36. Valerii Kostiantynovych MUSIIENKO
37. Viacheslav Mykolaiovych PETROV
38. Ihor Venedyktovych PLOTNYTSKY
39. Yurii Oleksandrovych PROTSENKO
40. Oleh Anatoliiovych VASIN
41. Serhii Anatoliyovych ZDRILIUK

As of June 21, 2014, the designated entities now subject to the Ukraine Regulations are:

  1. Chernomorneftegaz
  2. Feodosia

The Ukraine Regulations prohibit persons in Canada and Canadians abroad from:

  • Dealing in any property held by or on behalf of a designated person, or facilitating or providing financial or other related services in respect of such a dealing;
  • Making any goods available to a designated person; and,
  • Providing any financial or related services to or for the benefit of a designated person.

"Causing, assisting, or promoting" these prohibited activities is also not permitted. There are some exceptions, including the following:

  • Payments made by or on behalf of designated persons pursuant to contracts entered to before their designation, provided the payment is not for their benefit;
  • Pension payments to any person in Canada or Canadian abroad;
  • Certain transactions in respect of diplomatic missions;
  • Transactions to UN agencies, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and Canadian NGOs in certain circumstances;
  • Transactions necessary for a Canadian to transfer to a non-designated person any accounts, funds or investments held by a designated person when that person became a designated person;
  • Financial services required in order for a designated person to obtain certain legal services in Canada; and
  • Payments to any person in Canada or any Canadian abroad in respect of loans entered into prior to March 17, 2014.

It is worth noting that the Minister of Foreign Affairs does have the power to issue to any person in Canada or a Canadian abroad a permit to carry out any of the activities or transactions that are currently restricted or prohibited by way of the Ukraine Regulations.

Those conducting business in Ukraine, or with Ukrainian business partners outside of Ukraine, may wish to consider implementing incremental processes and procedures to ensure compliance with these new Canadian laws. The economic sanctions imposed on Ukraine have rapidly evolved and ongoing vigilance with respect to developments is the prudent course.

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