Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland says Canada condemns what she calls "the despicable use of a chemical agent" in a March 4 attack in the United Kingdom.
But for now, Canada isn't following the U.K. in levelling new sanctions against Russia, which is accused of using a nerve agent against former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
Both remain in critical condition in a Salisbury hospital.
Freeland said she has reached out to her British counterpart Boris Johnson.
"We condemn in the strongest terms the despicable use of a chemical agent on the sovereign territory of the United Kingdom," said Freeland in a statement early Wednesday.
"Russia's likely involvement in this attack is a serious breach of the rules-based order."
A media release from the Russian Embassy in Ottawa takes issue with Freeland's statement.
"We regret Canadian foreign minister's hasty support for the unfounded and unacceptable accusations on the part of UK with regard to the Skripal case," it reads. "The British blame game based on the word 'likely,' but not on trustworthy investigation, hard facts and proper international procedures, is highly reprehensible and extremely counterproductive."
British Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Wednesday that Britain would expel 23 Russian diplomats, giving them one week to leave.
It's being reported as the largest such expulsion since the Cold War. The U.K. is also considering freezing certain assets. No British ministers or Royal Family member will attend the soccer World Cup in Russia this summer as well.
Freeland's office said Canada isn't considering similar sanctions at this time.
In a speech in the U.K.'s Parliament on Wednesday, May claimed the Russian state is guilty of attempted murder.
Although there has been no conclusive determination of who was behind the poisonings, May said: "There is no alternative conclusion other than that the Russian state was culpable for the attempted murder of Mr. Skripal and his daughter, and for threatening the lives of other British citizens in Salisbury."
She acted after Moscow ignored a deadline of midnight Tuesday night to explain how a nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union was used to target Skripal.
On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia would only co-operate with Britain on the investigation if it received samples of the poison collected by investigators. The Russian Embassy in the U.K. also warned any sanctions would "meet with a response."
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