Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced a new round of sanctions in response to what he calls the "escalated acts of aggression" by Russian-backed fighters in eastern Ukraine.

Harper's office issued travel bans Tuesday against 37 Russian and Ukrainian individuals and economic sanctions against 17 Russian and Ukrainian entities.

The Canadian government to date has made about a dozen such announcements since the Russian military began to intervene in the conflict in February 2014...

Harper said his government is closely monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire agreement reached by Russian and Ukrainian leaders in Minsk on Feb. 12 and added he is prepared to take further action against Moscow and Russian-backed rebels if they fail to adhere to the pact...

This has been excerpted from 17 February 2015 article by CBC News.