Protests Over The Confiscation Of Cargo Planes, Russia's Foreign Ministry Summons Canadian Diplomat

Illustration of the Antonov An-124 Volga-Dnepr cargo plane. (Wikimedia Commons/Aleksandr Markin)

JAKARTA - Russia's Foreign Ministry said it had summoned a Canadian diplomat in Moscow on Thursday, in protest over the seizure of Antonov's plane in Toronto, warning Russia-Canadian relations were on a "sharp mine".

Canada on Saturday ordered the seizure of Russia's Antonov-124 cargo plane at Toronto airport, the first seizure of assets aimed at suppressing Moscow over the Ukrainian invasion.

Russia told Brian Ebel, deputy head of the Canadian embassy in Moscow, they saw the seizure of the plane as "an cynical theft," according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The Canadian Russophobia policy will have the most serious impact on Russia-Canada relations, which are almost cut off due to the Trudeau administration's mistakes," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged Moscow's concerns, but reaffirmed Ottawa's "unwavering" support for Ukraine.

"We have been explicitly clear. Those who have made it possible, supported, and took advantage of Russia's war in Ukraine will be held accountable," the spokesman said in an emailed statement.

Canada announced the seizure of the plane when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Kyiv, where it announced new military aid to Ukraine worth $500 million.

It is known that registered as a NATO member and having one of the largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world, Canada is one of Ukraine's most vocal supporters and has imposed sanctions on hundreds of Russian officials and companies, as well as banned large-scale trade.