Saturday October 11, 2025 | OTTAWA, ON
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia continues, including Russian missile and drone nighttime strikes on October 10 causing power cuts in large parts of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and eight other regions.
Today Prime Minister Mark Carney got on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to continue discussing Canada’s support for Ukraine. Canada’s support has been in place since the Russian-Ukraine conflict started in February 2022.
The Prime Minister’s office says in a readout today that Canada has condemned the recent Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid, which left thousands of Ukrainians without power.
“Canada is closely coordinating with Ukraine on new opportunities to support the defence of its energy infrastructure and to ensure Ukraine has sufficient gas supply as winter approaches,” the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) readout stated.
In their phone call, Carney and Zelenskyy discussed Russia’s ongoing war of aggression. This aggression continues despite efforts by US President Donald Trump and many national leaders in Europe to facilitate peace.
Carney and Zelenskyy in their discussion reportedly emphasized Canada’s work with partners in the Coalition of the Willing to support Ukraine and advance peace and security, including through robust security guarantees.
Members of the Coalition of the Willing:
According to the Euroepean Pravda newspaper in Ukraine, the Coalition of the Willing is presently (as of the September 4, 2025 meeting) was had 33 participating countries including: United Kingdom, France, Canada, Belgium,The Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Spain, Germany, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Luxembourg, Ireland, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, Slovenia, Albania, Montenegro, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, Austria, Iceland and Turkey. Member of the European Union (EU) that did not participate in September were: Slovakia, Hungary, and Malta.
On August 13, President Trump said during a press conference from Washington that “there will be some land swapping. there’ll be some changes in land… they’ll change the battlelines”, referring to what might happen between Russia and Ukraine. But Russia since then has only continued if not escalated its aggression toward Ukraine.
US and Russia:
The United States is not a member of the Coalition of the Willing, although Trump has attempted to level the playing field with Russia including at a Summit in Anchorage, Alaska on August 15.
At that meeting Alaska, according to Reuters news agency, for Russia, the Anchorage summit had two goals: to persuade President Trump to lean on Ukraine and Europe to agree to a peace settlement favourable to Moscow, and to encourage a rapprochement in U.S.-Russia ties. Neither of those goals were achieved, and Russia has continued its attacks in Ukraine.
On August 18, Trump hosted European leaders in Washington to discuss ways to accomplish peace in Ukraine.
According to Reuters yesterday, there is no new Trump-Putin meeting on the agenda, no date has been set for the next talks on improving ties, and Washington — without an ambassador in Moscow since June — has not sought Russia’s approval to send a successor.
Returning children:
Today Carney and Zelenskyy discussed the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, which Canada and Ukraine convened at the leader level on the margins of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly last month in New York.
Aid to Ukraine:
Canada has provided robust military and financial aid to Ukraine, including over $12.4 billion in direct financial support – which Canada says is the largest per capita financial contribution among G7 countries.
Prime Minister Carney also confirmed in his call with Zelenskyy that “Canada’s acquisition of the NATO Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List package of U.S. military equipment will strengthen Ukraine’s air defence capabilities at a critical moment in the war”.
G7 leaders in Washington this coming week:
The leaders agreed to remain in close contact as their ministers prepare to meet to advance work in increasing financial pressure on Russia at the G7 Finance ministers meeting this week, on the margins of the 2025 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC during October 13 to 18.
Carney acknowledging Trump:
On a related note in terms of peace negotiations, Prime Minister Carney this past week acknowledged Trump’s role in getting a ceasefire in the Middle East.
===== RELATED:
- US President leads shared interest for peace in Ukraine (August 18, 2025)
- Carney supports Trump’s peace negotiation efforts to end Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine (August 16, 2025)
- Coalition of the Willing virtual meeting in support of Ukraine ahead of Trump-Putin meeting (August 13, 2025)
- Carney & Zelenskyy discuss steps to lasting peace as Trump prepares to meet Putin (August 11, 2025)
- US Senators discuss trade & defence with Carney in Ottawa (July 21, 2025)
- NEWS SECTIONS: CANADA-NATIONAL | CANADA-USA | UKRAINE | COALITION OF THE WILLING