TORONTO – I was already around when the Cuban Missile Crisis happened in October 1962. Both US President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Krushchev kept the world at its toes, fearing a nuclear war. This didn’t happen though. What happened was a full scale economic sanction against Cuba by the US which stands till now. So, to the question “Do Sanctions Work?”, my reply would be, not for Cuba. This small country which is a mere 90 miles from Key West, Florida, has dug in for 63 years now and has managed to survive without trading with the US. 

Canada uses sanctions mostly for economic reasons against countries whose leaders have fallen on the wayside. It has sanctioned under the United Nations Act and the Special Economic Measures Act countries like Belarus, China, Iran, Iraq, Russia and the Democratic Republic of Korea, to name a few. Sanctions cover not only acquiring consumer goods but also producing and manufacturing items to sell to other countries. In a nutshell, it involves exporting and importing. Hence, trade.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February, 2022, the US rallied all international leaders including our own PM Justin Trudeau to join in sanctioning Russia. Since then, Russians have suffered economically. Forty percent of Russia’s budget is now allocated to the war effort. Food prices have risen exponentially and interest rates are 21%. Yet, Russia continues to wage war against Ukraine. It has, to date, asked China for help.

Oftentimes, it’s the people who suffer. Sanctions don’t deter leaders of the countries being sanctioned to stop their aggression on their own people and on the people of other nations. But, sometimes, they work. Take, for example, Libya. Sanctions made this country turn in the Lockerbie bombers. Add to this, they made Libya abandon its nuclear arms program. On the other hand, sanctioning Iran didn’t stop it from continuing its nuclear war program.

Has another country ever sanctioned Canada? Not to my knowledge. We are a God-fearing nation – our people believe in compassion, justice, equality and peace.