Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his intention to keep any potential conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin brief if they meet at the upcoming G20 summit. The United States will host the event in Miami, and President Donald Trump has extended an invitation to Putin, which the Kremlin has hinted at accepting.
When questioned about potential discussions with Putin at the summit in December during an unrelated news conference, Carney stated that his message would be straightforward: urging Putin to withdraw from Ukraine, return all Ukrainian territories, and end the ongoing conflict that is causing significant casualties.
Carney was also asked about his opinion on whether the Trump administration should retract the invitation to Putin. While acknowledging valid reasons for barring Putin, Carney emphasized that the decision lies with the host country.
Putin has not attended a G20 summit since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and there is an active arrest warrant against him by the International Criminal Court. The recent G20 finance ministers meeting in Asheville, N.C., saw the presence of Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, causing discomfort according to Canada’s Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne.
Champagne affirmed Canada’s support for Ukraine and highlighted the discomfort expressed over Russia’s participation at the meeting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to visit Canada next week, with his last visit in December involving discussions with Carney and Trump to seek a resolution to the conflict.
The upcoming G20 summit’s dynamics are reminiscent of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s encounter with Putin in 2014, where Harper urged Putin to leave Ukraine following the annexation of Crimea.
Despite recent drone strikes by Russia in Kyiv and ongoing tensions, both sides have expressed optimism about peace prospects. Putin mentioned potential support from countries like the U.S. and China for a peaceful resolution. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha noted a new phase of diplomatic engagement and expressed hope for progress in peace efforts.