Prime Minister Mark Carney will be in Paris on Monday for a meeting with Ukrainian allies in an effort to end Russia’s war in that country.
The meeting of the “coalition of the willing,” made up of countries such as Canada, France and other European countries, wants to speed up the negotiated peace process for Ukraine nearly four years after the Russian invasion.
In a press release issued Friday, Carney said he is focused on strengthening Ukraine and preventing future Russian aggression as Ukraine seeks security guarantees from the United States and other countries.
Carney’s office says Canada is working with allies to increase Ukraine’s defense capabilities and support the country’s long-term recovery, and is seeking the return of Ukrainian children “illegally deported” during the war with Russia.
Canada, which has been among the biggest contributors to Ukraine’s recovery, announced $2.5 billion in cash and loan guarantees when Carney met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Halifax late last month.
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US President Donald Trump, who hosted Zelenskyy the next day at his Mar-a-Lago resort, insisted that Ukraine and Russia are “closer than ever” to a peace settlement, although he acknowledged that outstanding obstacles could prevent a deal.
Benjamin Zyla, a professor in the department of international development and global studies at the University of Ottawa, said the peace plan currently on the table leaves out important issues for Ukraine to consider, including territorial integrity.
“That means that the people of Ukraine have made a decision and the Canadian government has made it clear that only the people of Ukraine should decide,” said Zyla.
“The second big issue is the question of protecting Ukrainian territory if Ukraine and Russia reach a peace agreement in the near future.”
He said an international peacekeeping force was essential to any deal to protect Ukraine from further action from Russia, but it would not be the same as the peacekeeping mission of the past. Instead, Zyla said the force would need to act as an “enforcement force” in line with any agreement signed between the two countries.
The meeting comes days after the US expelled Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife from the country in a military operation in which low-flying aircraft exploded over the country’s capital.
Zyla said that talking about what happened in Venezuela will be a topic discussed by the leaders, including whether that attack will have an impact on reaching an agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
“It is too early to say what such an impact would be, although most experts consider it a clear violation of international law,” Zyla said.
Carney responded Saturday afternoon to Maduro’s ouster by noting that one of the first steps his new government took in March was to impose more sanctions on his “brutal and criminal regime.”
In a statement posted on social media, Carney noted that Canada has not seen “Maduro’s illegitimate regime since he stole the 2018 election.”
“The Canadian government therefore welcomes the opportunity for freedom, democracy, peace and prosperity for the people of Venezuela,” Carney wrote.
But he also wrote that Canada “has long supported a peaceful, negotiated, Venezuelan-led transition process that respects the democracy of the Venezuelan people,” adding that Canada calls on all parties to respect international law.
“We stand for the right of the Venezuelan people to self-determination and to build their own future in a peaceful and democratic society,” Carney said in a statement.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
