A billionaire named Igor Makarov attempted to get himself off Canada’s Russia sanctions list by denouncing Vladimir Putin and the Ukraine war in a private statement to the government, but his efforts were unsuccessful. Makarov, whose assets were frozen by Ottawa in response to the invasion of Ukraine, criticized Putin’s actions as “outrageous,” “illegal,” and designed to undermine the world order. Despite his strong opposition to the Russian regime and the invasion of Ukraine, Canada was skeptical of Makarov’s intentions and rejected his application for de-listing, stating that he had not publicly denounced the war or Putin as requested.
Makarov, who is estimated to be worth $2 billion, argued that the sanctions had caused him substantial financial harm and submitted a confidential statement to the government in an attempt to have them lifted. He claimed that he was a victim of Putin’s political tactics and had distanced himself from Russia by renouncing his citizenship and submitting an application to renounce his Russian citizenship. However, Canadian government documents describe him as being surrounded by Putin’s cronies and benefiting from deals made possible by post-Soviet politics based on nepotism and patronage.
Despite Makarov’s assertions that he had distanced himself from the Russian regime, Canadian officials recommended that he remain under sanction as an associate of senior officials of the Russian regime. They argued that unequivocal and public denouncements of the Russian regime and Putin were important steps in demonstrating a distancing from the regime. As Canada leans increasingly on sanctions as a foreign policy tool, the case involving Makarov sheds light on the backroom disputes unfolding between the government and individuals whose assets have been tied up as a result of sanctions.
Makarov’s court appeal claims that he was sanctioned only because he is a wealthy former Russian citizen and that there is no requirement to publicly denounce Putin before being removed from Canada’s sanctions list. His lawyer refutes the false allegations and fabricated facts used to justify the sanctions, stating that the file on Makarov lacked objectivity and painted a misleading picture of him. While the Canadian government declined to comment on Makarov’s case, the documents obtained from the Federal Court reveal the complexities involved in the process of being removed from Canada’s sanctions list.
The decision to maintain Makarov’s listing on the sanctions list was made in alignment with Canada’s allies and was kept confidential from the public. Despite Makarov’s efforts to distance himself from the Russian regime and Putin, Canada and other countries, including Australia and New Zealand, have kept him under sanction. The government’s position is that public denouncements of the Russian regime and Putin specifically are crucial in demonstrating genuine distancing from the regime. Despite Makarov’s claims of supporting humanitarian projects for Ukrainians affected by the war, the Canadian government remained unconvinced of his intentions and refused to remove him from the sanctions list.
