Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss efforts toward a negotiated resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.Carney reaffirmed his government's commitment to maintaining support for Ukraine and desire to establish peace between Ukraine and Russia.Both leaders emphasized that decisions about Ukraine’s future should be made by Ukrainians and that international borders should not be changed by force. They welcomed the involvement of the United States and U.S. President Donald Trump in advancing diplomatic efforts ahead of upcoming negotiations.Carney endorsed and parroted the recent statements made by European leaders ahead of President Trump’s impending meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. This follows the recent trend of the Prime Minister following the lead of European nations when engaging in foreign policy. In the conversation, Carney reaffirmed Canada’s ongoing military and financial assistance to Ukraine, including $2 billion in military aid and a $2.3 billion loan for infrastructure and public services. Last week, Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom announced plans to lower the price cap on Russian crude oil..As co-chairs of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, Canada and Ukraine called for the return of children removed from Ukraine during the conflict. Carney said Canada will continue to work with international partners to support security and stability in Ukraine and Europe.Prime Minister Carney also confirmed that Canada will continue to co-operate closely with the Coalition of President Trump and the United States of America, and with President Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine, among ongoing trade disputes between Canada and the United States. Trump and Putin are due to hold talks in Alaska at the end of the week. Trump claimed that he could know within two minutes of meeting Putin whether progress was possible."Russia's occupied a big portion of Ukraine," he said during a press conference at the White House. "They occupied prime territory. We're going to try to get some of that territory back for Ukraine."
