Providing guarantees from Canada to enable Ukraine to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met online yesterday with the “Coalition of the Willing,” two days ahead of the U.S.-Russia summit on the war in Ukraine. The coalition is a group of countries that have agreed to support Ukraine in its war against the Russian military invasion of its territory.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to hold a face-to-face meeting on Friday in the U.S. state of Alaska—located near Russia’s Far East—to discuss ways to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not invited to the summit, which raised concerns among Kyiv’s allies, prompting them to quickly convene meetings to ensure that Ukraine’s concerns are heard.
Carney said in a statement issued after the meeting that “it is essential to provide reliable guarantees to enable Ukraine to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
The Canadian prime minister also emphasized that “decisions regarding Ukraine’s future must be made by Ukrainians.”
Yesterday’s meeting was chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Zelensky attended the meeting in Berlin alongside Merz, while the other leaders participated via video, including U.S. President Donald Trump and his deputy, J.D. Vance.
The Ukrainian president told the group that he hopes an immediate ceasefire will be the main topic at Friday’s summit, but he also argued that the Russian president “certainly does not want peace.”
Zelensky added that Putin is misleading about the impact of the sanctions imposed by Western allies on his country and about his country’s ability to occupy all of Ukraine.
Earlier yesterday, Trump warned of “very severe consequences” if Putin does not agree to end the war that has been ongoing since Russia’s large-scale military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but he did not specify what those consequences would be.
Trump also said that he wants to hold a trilateral meeting with Putin and Zelensky after Friday’s summit. He clearly expressed his goal of mediating to end the war, a feat he once boasted he would achieve on the first day of his presidency in Washington.
It is worth noting that Trump assumed his presidential duties in the current term on January 20.
Carney and European leaders fear that tomorrow’s Alaska summit could result in an agreement requiring Ukraine to cede the territories currently controlled by Russian forces. Trump had indicated that territorial exchanges might be part of a deal to end the fighting.
The French president told reporters that Trump clearly expressed his desire to achieve a ceasefire at the Alaska summit.
As for the German chancellor, he said after yesterday’s meeting that although important decisions may be made at the Alaska summit, “the fundamental security interests of Europe and Ukraine must be protected.”
Merz added that “Ukraine must be at the negotiating table once follow-up meetings are held.”
