Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s call for robust security guarantees as part of any potential peace agreement. Carney also mentioned that Canada does not rule out deploying troops in this context.
As the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, approaches its three-and-a-half-year mark, efforts for peace are being spearheaded by U.S. President Donald Trump. Ukraine is collaborating with its European allies to formulate frameworks for potential security guarantees post-conflict, a concept that Trump has also shown openness to.
Carney, who is on his first visit to Ukraine since taking office in March, joined Zelensky at a celebration marking Ukraine’s Independence Day in central Kyiv, which was also attended by Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg.
Speaking to a crowd of dignitaries at Sophia Square in Kyiv, in front of the 11th-century cathedral, Zelensky stated, “We are all working to ensure that the end of this war means guaranteeing peace for Ukraine, so that war or the threat of war is not inherited by our children.”
Zelensky emphasized his desire for future security guarantees to be as close as possible to Article 5 of NATO’s charter, which considers an attack on one member to be an attack on all.
Carney supported Zelensky’s call for potential international involvement. During a joint press conference, Carney remarked, “In Canada’s view, it is unrealistic for the only security guarantee to be the Ukrainian armed forces, which require support and reinforcement.”
The two leaders signed an agreement for the joint production of drones, with Carney announcing that Ukraine is set to receive over CAD 1 billion (approximately USD 723 million) in military aid from a previously announced package next month.
Later that day, U.S. envoy Kellogg met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who shared that they discussed a mineral agreement between Ukraine and the United States, as well as security guarantees.
During the press conference with Carney, Zelensky was asked about a Wall Street Journal report stating that the U.S. Defense Department had restricted Ukraine from launching attacks on Russia with the ATACMS missiles provided by the U.S. for several months.
An informed source indicated that, despite the absence of offical comments on long-range strikes, the Pentagon has established a review process that has yet to allow the use of ATACMS against targets deep within Russia.
In response, Zelensky clarified that Kyiv has recently utilized its domestically produced long-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia. “We have not recently discussed this matter with the United States,” he noted.
Ukraine reported launching strikes overnight on an oil refinery in the Samara region of Russia, as well as on a gas facility at the Ost-Luga port, a Russian energy export terminal.