Zelenskyy to meet Carney in Halifax today before Ukraine president’s talks with Trump in Florida
CBC
Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Halifax today during a stopover before Ukraine’s president heads to the U.S.
News of Zelenskyy's Canadian visit comes after he spoke with Carney by phone Friday. The Prime Minister’s Office released an advisory early Saturday confirming the meeting, scheduled to start around 1 p.m. AT.
The wartime leader said in a statement that he updated the prime minister "on the status of our diplomatic efforts with the United States" to bring the Russian war in Ukraine to an end.
Zelenskyy is set to discuss a 20-point plan for peace with U.S. President Donald Trump, likely at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday.
"In the coming days, much can be accomplished both bilaterally between Ukraine and the United States, as well as with our Coalition of the Willing partners," Zelenskyy said, referencing the 35-nation group of Ukraine-friendly countries that includes Canada.
"It is critical that we jointly and constructively bolster Ukraine’s ability to protect life, reinforce our front-line positions, and enhance the effectiveness of the negotiation process. Right now, it is Russia that is dragging its feet and trying to waste time.”
According to a readout of the call from the PMO, Carney commended Zelenskyy for his "continued efforts to secure a just and lasting peace for the people of Ukraine, and the courage of the Ukrainian people as they face another winter of Russian aggression."
"The prime minister affirmed Canada’s commitment to Ukraine throughout these negotiations and emphasized the need to maintain pressure on Russia to negotiate," the PMO said in a statement Friday.
Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv that he and Trump will discuss security guarantees for Ukraine during Sunday’s talks.
An "economic agreement" will also be discussed, Zelenskyy said, adding that he was unable to confirm "whether anything will be finalized by the end."
The Ukrainian side will also raise "territorial issues," he said.
Moscow has insisted that Ukraine relinquish the remaining territory it still holds in the Donbas — an ultimatum that Ukraine has rejected. Russia has captured most of Luhansk and about 70 per cent of Donetsk — the two areas that make up the Donbas.
Earlier this week, Zelenskyy said he would be willing to withdraw troops from Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland as part of a plan to end the war, but only if Russia also pulls back and the area becomes a demilitarized zone monitored by international forces.
Zelenskyy said Friday that a potential U.S.-Ukraine agreement is "90 per cent ready," acknowledging territorial questions have been the biggest sticking point in these peace talks.
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