Establishing a lasting peace in Ukraine requires “a willing Russia”, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Saturday, denouncing the “barbarism” of Moscow’s latest bombardment of Kyiv as he met Volodymyr Zelensky.
“We have the conditions … of a just and lasting peace, but that requires a willing Russia, and the barbarism that we saw overnight … shows just how important it is that we stand with Ukraine,” Carney said as the Ukrainian leader stopped in Halifax, Nova Scotia, en route to meet US President Donald Trump in Florida.
The Canadian leader announced C$2.5 billion (US$1.82 billion) in fresh economic help for Ukraine that he said would help unlock international financing “to begin this process of rebuilding” the country after almost four years of war since Russian forces invaded.
Advertisement
Joined by Carney, Zelensky was to hold a video call with European leaders from Halifax, before continuing his journey to Florida for what he said he hoped would be “very constructive” talks with Trump on a new 20-point plan to end the war.
The Ukrainian president said the 10-hour bombardment on Kyiv and surrounding regions overnight was “Russia’s answer to our peace efforts”.
Advertisement
“And this really showed that Putin doesn’t want peace, and we want peace,” Zelensky said.
