Canada PM Mark Carney Promises Zelensky More Support for Ukraine

The newly appointed Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney made one of his first conversations with a foreign head of state a phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, vowing to continue prioritizing Ukraine in Canadian foreign policy as predecessor Justin Trudeau had done.

Carney became prime minister on Friday after being appointed the new leader of the far-left Liberal Party in an election closed to eligible Party members last week. Trudeau announced he would vacate the position in January after a decade in power, responding to loud pressure from within his party to step aside as his popularity plummeted among the general public – the result of skyrocketing crime, an immigration crisis, economic decline, the erosion of civil liberties, and the rise of killings by doctors during his rule. The Liberal Party dramatically improved its polling after Trudeau announced he would leave political life, for now.

Carney is expected to compete to remain the nation’s prime minister in a general election that Canadian law mandates must occur before the end of October. His top rival is the head of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, who is campaigning by branding Carney “just like Justin” Trudeau and accusing Carney of suffering from a variety of financial conflicts of interest that hinder his ability to negotiate tariffs with American President Donald Trump.

On Ukraine, Carney has not in any way departed from Trudeau’s policies. Canada has been vocally supportive of Ukraine against the ongoing Russian invasion of its territory, which formally began in February 2022 but has persisted for over a decade since Russian strongman Vladimir Putin conquered Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in 2014.

According to Zelensky, who published an extensive statement about the phone call along with a photo apparently showing him conversing with Carney, the two enjoyed a “good and substantive” conversation that made him confident in prolonged Canadian support for his country.

“The Prime Minister made the right points about how we need to step up pressure on Moscow. The shadow fleet, the banking sector,” Zelensky wrote. “We must impose all-out sanctions on everything that provides Russia with funding for its war. Only then can we force Putin to a just and lasting peace.”

Zelensky also indicated that Canada was interested in investing in the reconstruction of post-war Ukraine and in joint defense deals to produce weaponry.

“Canada is interested in military-industrial and defense cooperation,” Zelensky said. “Throughout this war, we have gained significant experience in the production of EW systems, long-range missiles, and drones. Ukraine is ready for joint production.”

Carney published a shorter message confirming their conversation and adding that Zelensky took the opportunity to discuss “global efforts to advance peace.” The largest and most-watched effort to advance peace at the moment is being led by Trump, who is reportedly scheduled to speak to Putin directly on Tuesday. Carney did not mention the United States in his remarks on his call with Zelensky, however. He also omitted any mention of support for “all-out sanctions” on Russia.

Zelensky and Carney spoke shortly before the latter departed for his first international trip since becoming prime minister to Europe. Carney is in France at press time and expected to visit the United Kingdom before returning home. In Paris, Carney distanced himself from his own continent, describing Canada as “the most European of non-European countries” and calling for more robust trade between Ottawa and Paris.

“With you Mr. President, I want to ensure that France and the whole of Europe works enthusiastically with Canada, the most European of non-European countries, determined, like you, to maintain the most positive possible relations with the United States,” Carney said before reporters.

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Carney warmly, declaring support for free trade and subtly condemning President Trump’s tariff push, claiming the absence of tariffs makes trade “more efficient.”

“We believe that fair trade that respects international rules is a good thing for everyone’s prosperity and it is far more effective than tariffs that simply create inflation and destroy the integration of our economies and our supply chain,” Macron opined, calling Canada a “unique friend.”

The meeting with Macron is Carney’s first in-person exchange with another head of government since inheriting the prime ministership. His performance during the brief European tour is one of high stakes as Carney entered the top Canadian government office with no prior political experience and never having been elected to any office. Carney has worked in finance for most of his career, leading both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England.

Like Carney, Trudeau prioritized Ukraine as a foreign policy partner. The Trudeau administration granted $13.5 billion in aid to Ukraine and treated the Ukraine war as a top Canadian issue. One of Trudeau’s final international trips as prime minister was in Kyiv, where he reaffirmed his government’s commitment to supporting Zelensky.

Trudeau’s support for Ukraine extended to an embarrassing incident in 2023 in which Trudeau and Zelensky gave a standing ovation in the Canadian Parliament to Yaroslav Hunka, a Ukrainian soldier who had served in a Nazi German division of Ukrainian volunteers against the Soviet Union.

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