Canada sanctions Russia over Ukraine 'invasion,' pledges more troops to Europe

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is sending hundreds more troops to eastern Europe and imposing new sanctions on Russia in response to its deployment of forces into Ukraine.

Trudeau says up to 460 more members of the Canadian Armed Forces are being sent to Latvia and the surrounding region to bolster NATO in response to what he described as a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The new troops are being deployed alongside an additional naval frigate and Aurora surveillance aircraft, and are on top of the 540 Armed Forces members already deployed to Latvia.

Trudeau says Canada is also taking a number of steps alongside its allies to isolate Russia financially by imposing economic sanctions against a number of Russian parliamentarians, business leaders and companies, including banks and defence firms. Canada is also banning the purchase of Russian sovereign debt and any financial dealing with the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday recognizing those two regions as independent before ordering Russian troops into those areas.