Ottawa, August 12, 2025 – The Europe Today: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke by phone on Monday, reiterating their shared view that Ukraine must be directly involved in any discussions aimed at ending the ongoing war on its soil.
Ahead of the upcoming meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled for August 15 in Alaska, both leaders welcomed Trump’s expressed commitment to achieving a lasting peace in Ukraine.
In a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, the two leaders emphasized that decisions concerning Ukraine’s future must be made by Ukrainians themselves and that international borders cannot be altered by force. They also underscored the necessity for Ukraine’s allies to maintain pressure on Russia to end its aggression and stressed that any peace agreement must include strong and credible security guarantees.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, it has occupied nearly 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea—seized in 2014—and regions such as Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, which Russia has formally claimed despite controlling only part of them.
Following the call, President Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for Canada’s steadfast support and affirmed that no decisions about Ukraine’s future or the security of its people can be made without Ukraine’s participation. He voiced skepticism about Russia’s intentions to end the conflict, suggesting that Moscow seeks merely to buy time.
Zelenskyy further insisted that until Ukraine is invited to peace negotiations and provided with security assurances, sanctions against Russia must remain in place and be continuously strengthened.
Speaking ahead of his summit with Putin, President Trump described the Alaska meeting as a “feel-out” session to gauge Russian willingness to negotiate peace. He emphasized his message to Putin: “You’ve got to end this war. You’ve got to end it.” Trump also indicated the possibility of including President Zelenskyy in future talks and said he would consult European leaders soon after the Alaska meeting, aiming for a swift ceasefire in the conflict.
