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Asked about the timing of the sanctions, Foreign Affairs Minister Rob Nicholson’s spokeswoman Julie Di Mambro said: “We make foreign policy decisions when the government believes it is the right time to act.”

Di Mambro did not respond when asked whether the government would be investigating to see if the sanctions had been broken during the World Cup. She referred further questions, including whether FIFA was consulted or notified before the sanctions were imposed, to the world soccer body.

Trade lawyer John Boscariol, an expert on Canada’s sanctions regime at McCarthy Tetrault, said it’s unlikely any rules were broken as the measures against Gazprom are “about as soft as you can get.” Unlike those that forbid all financial transactions, the sanctions against Gazprom ban only certain loans to and from the company.

“So in some ways, I guess what you’re saying is we don’t want you to support Gazprom through financing,” Boscariol said. “But otherwise you can deal with them.”

The government has been extremely secretive with how and why it adds certain individuals, companies and groups to its sanctions list. Boscariol described it as “a bit of a black hole,” with officials citing national security and other reasons not to divulge any information on the process.

The Conservative government has been extremely critical of Russia over Ukraine, and Boscariol said Canada has been aggressive when it comes to sanctions. But he suggested there’s also some politicking involved, as the government has largely failed to highlight the different types of sanctions.