Carney says Trump ‘creating the opportunity' to end war in Ukraine
Carney is praising the U.S. government's efforts to end the war in a statement today, after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not attend the summit, which ended without any agreement for a ceasefire or path to end the war.
Carney says in his statement that Canada is co-ordinating closely with Zelenskyy and other partners to intensify steadfast support for Ukraine.
Carney took part in talks Wednesday with European leaders and spoke directly with Zelenskyy on Monday.
The prime minister says on social media that Canada's partners insist that Ukrainians decide their own future with diplomatic efforts reinforced by military and economic pressure on Russia so the war can end.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2025.
– With files from Dylan Robertson
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Globe and Mail
13 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Can a peace agreement be reached in Ukraine without ceding territory to Russia?
When Donald Trump hosts Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Monday, the U.S. President is set to turn up the pressure on his Ukrainian counterpart to agree to a peace deal with Vladimir Putin after Mr. Trump backed down from pressing the Russian leader for a ceasefire. Mr. Zelensky, for his part, plans to bring a troop of fellow European leaders with him to the sit-down, hastily scheduled after Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin's Friday meeting in Alaska. They are expected to fight back against Russia's demand that Kyiv surrender swaths of territory to Moscow. Mr. Trump, who once promised to broker an end to Mr. Putin's invasion of Ukraine within a day of taking office, has signalled that he wants an agreement in short order. But whether a conclusion is possible in the face of Mr. Putin's conditions and Mr. Trump's frequently changing position on the war remains unclear. At stake is the outcome of Europe's deadliest fighting in 80 years. And at play is the once-unthinkable possibility that the U.S. might push to recognize Russian sovereignty over land that Moscow seized in an invasion. The U.S. President sought to project optimism Sunday. 'BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA. STAY TUNED!' he posted on Truth Social. Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump's special envoy for peace missions, said the U.S. and European countries might offer Ukraine similar protection that NATO countries have under Article 5 of their collective defence pact as part of a peace agreement. Under such a scenario, the U.S. and other countries would promise to defend Ukraine if it were invaded again. 'The United States is potentially prepared to be able to give Article 5 security guarantees – but not from NATO – directly from the United States and other European countries,' Mr. Witkoff said on Fox News on Sunday. It remains to be seen whether Ukraine would trust such a guarantee. In 1994, the country gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees from the U.S., Britain and Russia, only for Russia to later invade and occupy swaths of its territory, starting with Crimea in 2014. Mr. Witkoff said he was optimistic the Monday meeting would lead to a later trilateral gathering between Mr. Trump, Mr. Putin and Mr. Zelensky. He indicated that territorial concessions were on the table. 'It is for the Ukrainians to decide how they might land swap, how they might make a deal with the Russians on different territories there.' Mr. Zelensky's squad at the meeting is expected to include British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Analysis: Truth will likely be the last casualty of war in Ukraine Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Mr. Zelensky reiterated that 'the constitution of Ukraine makes it impossible' for him 'to give up territory or trade land.' And he poured cold water on Mr. Putin's reported demand that Kyiv cede land to Moscow that Russian troops don't even occupy, including the whole of Ukraine's Donbas industrial region. 'We need real negotiations, which means they can start where the front line is now. The contact line is the best line for talking.' Prime Minister Mark Carney, who took part in a virtual meeting with Mr. Zelensky and the European leaders on Sunday, warned in a statement that 'President Putin cannot be trusted' and any peace deal would therefore have to include 'robust and credible security guarantees' for Ukraine, along with a strong Ukrainian military. 'Current diplomatic engagement must be reinforced by continued military and economic pressure on Russia to end its aggression,' Mr. Carney said. Before his Friday meeting with Mr. Putin, Mr. Trump repeatedly threatened to increase sanctions on Russia and said he was 'not going to be happy' if the Russian leader didn't agree to a ceasefire. After the tête-à-tête, however, Mr. Trump changed his mind. He expressed agreement with Mr. Putin, saying it was on Mr. Zelensky to 'make a deal' with Russia, without Russia having to pause fighting. In an interview with Fox News, Mr. Trump said 'it's really up to Zelensky to get it done' because 'Russia is a very big power, and they're not.' The U.S. President said his conversation with Mr. Putin was 'very warm' and that Mr. Putin had backed Mr. Trump's false claim that the 2020 election was rigged against him. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday said sanctions might still be on the table if there is no peace agreement. 'If this whole effort doesn't work out, then there is going to have to be additional consequences to Russia,' he said on ABC. He defended Mr. Trump's decision not to follow through on his previous sanction threats. 'The minute you levy additional sanctions, strong additional sanctions, the talking stops,' he said.
Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
Truth will likely be the last casualty of war in Ukraine
Two men, a single maxim: It's the land, stupid. There, the similarities end. Donald Trump thinks of land in real estate terms. Vladimir Putin thinks of it in geopolitical terms. That's why, earlier this year, the U.S. President could conjure up a beachfront resort in Gaza, which he doesn't control. And that's why the Russian President is now demanding Donetsk and Luhansk, Ukrainian land he only partially controls. There aren't going to be Gaza Trump International resort beach bungalows any time soon, and probably never. But when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets with Mr. Trump in Washington Monday, he likely will be pressed to relinquish his 'Never settle' territory pledge – a phrase, coincidentally, that is the motto of the Trump luxury properties. Mr. Zelensky will be joined by an extraordinary high-ranking delegation of European leaders, all deeply troubled about the direction the fast-moving developments are taking. Their swiftly organized visit is both a remarkable symbol of European unity and a clear rebuke to Mr. Trump, who earlier warned Mr. Putin of dire consequences if his assault against Ukraine isn't paused. This group – which includes German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Union's executive arm – is perhaps the largest such impromptu gathering in Washington since world leaders rushed to the 1963 funeral of John F. Kennedy. Though mollified slightly by indications Ukraine will receive security assurances in an eventual peace settlement, they clearly are alarmed that Mr. Trump has swiftly, perhaps impulsively, backed away from putting pressure on Russia – in essence providing the country that began the conflict with a blank cheque while rendering a U.S. President already suspected of Russian sympathies vulnerable to critiques he is rewarding aggression. Putin agreed to let U.S., Europe offer Ukraine NATO-style security guarantees, Trump envoy says Now the pressure has moved from Russia to Ukraine, with Mr. Trump warning that 'Russia is a very big power, and they're not.' He told Mr. Zelensky that if Ukraine relinquished Donetsk, where Russia has had a strong position for more than a decade, Mr. Putin would freeze his troops in place. Mr. Zelensky rejected the notion, which would deliver to Russia a land mass more than twice the size of Nova Scotia. Already Mr. Putin, who appears to have profited the most from the summit, has registered a minor symbolic victory. 'They spent three years telling everyone Russia was isolated,' Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Friday, 'and today they saw the beautiful red carpet laid out for the Russian President in the U.S.' The Trump-Zelensky parley, like the one Mr. Trump held in Anchorage, Alaska, with Mr. Putin, is yet another example of the realpolitik in the line The Rolling Stones inserted 16 times into a 1969 hit song: 'You can't always get what you want.' Mr. Trump wants a swift resolution to the war. He may not get it. Mr. Putin wants a cessation of hostilities but only on his own terms and as part of a broader settlement. He's more likely to prevail. Mr. Zelensky wants a ceasefire before a peace settlement, which Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin now oppose, and he ultimately wants an end to the fighting but only if his country's dignity and sovereignty are preserved and the wartime casualties do not seem to have been in vain. That's the fulcrum of Monday's discussions in Washington. Already the terms of debate have shifted dramatically, just as the momentum in the war has bounced in the last several months between the two colliding armies, now exhausted but still in desperate mortal combat. Trump tells Zelensky that Putin demands more control of Ukraine, urges Kyiv to make a deal Mr. Trump has delivered several deadlines to Mr. Putin, all ignored, defied or forgotten. The U.S. President assured Mr. Macron that a ceasefire was the goal of Friday's conversations at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and then began his journey to the 49th state insisting he was working to win a ceasefire. By the time Mr. Trump was back in Washington, he was disavowing a ceasefire in favour of a broader settlement. ('The best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.') That was congruent with the view of Mr. Putin, who first wanted an unconditional military triumph and the annexation of Ukraine but apparently now will settle for the territorial gains he last week proscribed were the conditions for a 'promise' to end the war. One of the reasons the terms of diplomatic engagement (and military engagement) are constantly changing: the historical nature of Russia, a country itself constantly undergoing convulsive change and dramatic reversals. Russia was czarist before it was communist, then was capitalist and now is a one-man proto-dictatorship. It was allied with Nazi Germany before it was battling Nazi Germany. It was the clear leader in the Cold War space race (with the 1957 Sputnik launch and the pioneering 1961 orbital space flight of Yuri Gagarin, which were celebrated by Soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev) before it was the clear laggard to the Americans (with Project Gemini, Project Apollo, and the 1969 redemption of President Kennedy's promise to land an American on the moon). The reprise line of Keith Richards and Mick Jagger's You Can't Always Get What You Want may offer a way for all three parties to view the almost certainly unsatisfying resolution to a war that has stretched well past three years: 'But if you try sometimes, you just might find/You get what you need.' For in the end, whenever it comes, all three parties may claim they got what they needed. It may be that truth is the first casualty of war. But the truth will also likely be the last casualty of the war in Ukraine.
Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
Letters to the Editor, Aug 18, 2025
MAKE A DEAL Why don't we open up a finite number equal to say 15% of the EV sales in Canada to China? Some conditions have to apply. They must meet our crash and safety standards, contain some Canadian content such as Canadian-made tires, and be winter-proven. We will apply a reasonable import tariff to keep the playing field somewhat level. Market forces will be the true litmus test of sales and acceptability. Now what do we get in return, like canola exports. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account William Divitcoff Toronto (The current federal government has no plan) KILL EV MANDATE PM Carney's refusal to rescind the legislation compelling the sale of EVs shows that the liberal nonsensical thinking continues despite the new leader. EVs are impractical and virtually unworkable in cold, rural environments. Imagine the government passing a law that forced all citizens to run 10 kilometres in under 45 minutes. They'd cite the health benefits and lower medical costs associated with better health ignoring the fact the standard was totally unattainable. Show some leadership, Mark — drop the EV requirements. Tom C. Newell Niagara Falls (It an ideological push from the Liberals rather than a sensible one) This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. FIRE BAILEY Re 'TIFF reverses decision, will show Oct. 7 massacre film (Aug. 14): So the outrageous Cameron Bailey Script has literally stolen the spotlight from the 2025 TIFF Story, and not to either one's benefit. That alone is enough for him to pack up and go. It's a rap. Victor Redlick Toronto (Time will tell of Bailey survives this self-created scandal) DEAL OR NO DEAL President Trump's statement from the Anchorage Summit, 'There's no deal until there's a deal.' will eventually be updated to 'There's no deal' after any further meetings. There were many suggesting that Putin wasn't sincere and this was just a delaying technique. At least he got a free meal. This, and the Middle East wars are shameful, destructive, and basically the result of a leader's political policies and ego. Maybe divine intervention from the new Pope might help, or the boss upstairs will have a housing problem from all the innocent people, including children who are killed. Wrong is wrong. Dennis Fitzgerald Melbourne, Australia (Putin cannot be trusted, Trump knows that. But the goal to end the war is critical. President Zelenskyy has to be part of any further discussion) Toronto & GTA Columnists Money News Canada Toronto Blue Jays
