29.01 Canada Blacklists Ukrainian Officials as Obama Weighs In

MOSCOW, January 29 (RIA Novosti) – Canadian authorities have imposed visa bans on unspecified Ukrainian officials linked to the recent violence in Kiev, CBC News reported Tuesday.

“Effective immediately, we will restrict entry to Canada for key Ukrainian government officials that have been responsible for the oppression and silencing of opposition voices,” Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander was cited as saying.

Separately, US President Barack Obama weighed in on the Ukrainian protests for the first time on Tuesday, voicing cautious support for anti-government protesters.

“In Ukraine, we stand for the principle that all people have the right to express themselves freely and peacefully, and have a say in their country’s future,” Obama said in his state-of-the-nation address.

Opposition protests have been ongoing in Ukraine since President Viktor Yanukovych’s 11th-hour decision in November for closer ties with Russia, not the EU.

The protests turned violent after the government pushed through draconian laws curtailing the right to public assembly earlier this month.

At least five people were killed in the fighting between radical nationalists and riot police in Kiev.