Russia slams Canada's seizure of cargo plane

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Tuesday slammed as “theft" the process launched by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to seize a Russian AN-124 cargo plane.

In a statement on the ministry's website, Zakharova pointed out that the plane was delivering anti-COVID drugs to Canada at the request of the country's authorities and was "taken hostage with a far-reaching goal, as it turns out now, of robbery, taking a unique aircraft and transferring it to 'clients' in Kyiv."

"The Russian side warns that the practical implementation of this decision will have the most serious consequences for Russian-Canadian relations, which are already teetering on the verge of rupture due to the fault of Ottawa," she stressed.

She emphasized that attempts "to cover up" such "illegal and shameful" actions with local judicial procedures will not even "look legitimate."

Russia reserves the right to retaliate, guided by the principle of reciprocity, she added.