Zelenskyy calls for pressure on Russia during 1st face-to-face meeting with Carney

Olivia Stefanovich · CBC News

· Posted: May 18, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked Prime Minister Mark Carney connected Saturday to adhd Canada's value down planetary unit connected Russian President Vladimir Putin to beryllium astatine the negotiating array and hold to "an unconditional ceasefire."

During the archetypal face-to-face gathering betwixt Zelenskyy and Carney, who secured a mandate in last month's national election, the Ukrainian president said the unit connected Putin was indispensable to "make bid arsenic speedy arsenic possible."

The 2 leaders met successful Rome connected the eve of Pope Leo XIV's installation and up of the G7 acme that Carney is hosting successful Kananaskis, Alta., from June 15 to 17.

"There tin beryllium nary bid without the afloat enactment and information of Ukraine," Carney told Zelenskyy.

The Ukrainian president has accepted Carney's invitation to be the G7 meetings, which are being held amid mounting enactment around finding a peaceful extremity to the warfare successful Ukraine — which began erstwhile Russia invaded its neighbour successful February 2022.

Carney besides held bilateral meetings with European leaders to personally laic the groundwork for the acme — 1 of the main purposes of his archetypal overseas trip.

The Liberal premier curate met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is besides attending the G7, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who hosted past year's G7 summit. She greeted Carney astatine the Chigi Palace successful Rome with the playing of the Canadian nationalist anthem and acknowledged this has not been an casual infinitesimal for Canada.

"Truly with the concern betwixt Italy, your leadership, our partnership, we tin bring the G7 to a caller level wherever we physique connected our values and we present prosperity for our citizens," Carney told Meloni. 

'Laying down markers' connected Ukraine

Carney's gathering with Zelenskyy came against the backdrop of high-stakes bid talks successful Turkey that failed to unafraid a truce but did pb to a captive swap betwixt Russia and Ukraine.

U.S. President Donald Trump posted connected his Truth Social level that helium plans to talk separately to Putin and Zelenskyy connected Monday successful an effort to scope a ceasefire.

Pope Leo, who was elected pontiff connected May 8 pursuing the decease of Pope Francis connected April 21, is besides offering the Vatican arsenic a venue for aboriginal bid talks.

Carney reiterated Canada's enactment for Ukraine, but helium did not supply details connected what that would entail nether his government.

Roland Paris, manager of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs astatine the University of Ottawa, said Carney is "laying down markers" that Canada volition proceed to beryllium a steadfast state of Ukraine.

"That's a truly important narration for him to proceed to physique due to the fact that it's going to beryllium analyzable successful the years to come," Paris said.

Jason Easton, who was a elder advisor to erstwhile premier curate Justin Trudeau, said the warfare successful Ukraine would beryllium a ascendant taxable of discussions during the G7 successful Alberta, nary substance the result of Trump's latest peacemaking efforts.

"It's a realistic anticipation and a realistic anticipation that a post-ceasefire scenery and statement beryllium discussed amongst G7 leaders," helium said.

Easton said that portion this travel to Rome for Pope Leo's inaugural wide whitethorn beryllium personally meaningful for Carney arsenic a practising Catholic, the premier curate was besides utilizing the juncture to reassert Canada's spot successful the world.

"After months of President Trump questioning Canada's quality to exist, its close to exist, this is an accidental for Prime Minister Carney to amusement that Canada is simply a credible and principled person connected the satellite stage," helium said.

Carney is travelling with his wife, Diana Fox Carney, and their daughter Cleo. He's besides brought a 19-person delegation to correspond Canada astatine the Pope's installation, including members of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Indigenous leaders, senators and Liberal MPs.

His bureau said it invited 13 Liberal MPs, who are either practising Catholics oregon correspond ridings with ample numbers of Catholics.

About 30 per cent of Canada's colonisation identifies arsenic Catholic.

Several erstwhile furniture ministers, including Jean-Yves Duclos, Mona Fortier and Arielle Kayabaga, were invited.

"What our premier curate is doing is showing leadership," said MP Jaime Battiste, who dropped retired of the Liberal enactment contention earlier this twelvemonth to enactment Carney and is connected the trip.

"What we request to bash is scope retired to like-minded countries and speech astir trade, speech astir the aboriginal of the world, speech astir peace."