Ukraine, Tariffs to Dominate White House Talks with Canadian PM

WASHINGTON, DC, October 8 ------ Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Washington for a critical working visit and meeting with US President Donald Trump, scheduled for today in the Oval Office.

A senior Trump administration official confirmed to Kyiv Post that Ukraine would be among the key topics of discussion. But while the agenda includes “shared priorities in a new economic and security relationship,” the summit is shadowed by two enormous pressures: a simmering US trade war and a growing debate over how Canada can best contribute to Ukraine’s war effort.

Ukraine mandate: Condemnation and commitment

Ahead of Carney’s trip, the Canadian Foreign Ministry issued a sharp statement condemning Russia’s recent massive missile and drone strikes across Ukraine – attacks that have killed and injured civilians, including minors, and destroyed vital infrastructure. “We stand with Ukraine,” the ministry affirmed on X.

The meeting marks the first face-to-face interaction between the two leaders since a strained June G7 summit, which Trump cut short, canceling a scheduled meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.

Canada is set to host G7 Foreign Ministers next month near Niagara Falls, with the themes of the November 11-12 meeting centering on security and economic resilience. The timing of the Trump-Carney meeting suggests Ottawa is desperate to resolve its bilateral issues before stepping up to host its allies.

The G7 focus on economic resilience directly intersects with the Ukraine funding issue. Doug Klain, from Razom, a US-based organization that advocates for Ukrainian interests, offered an additional perspective on the economic discussions. He suggested, “a major topic could be the use of frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine.”

Klain noted that international action is already moving forward, observing, “The EU is moving ahead with using Russia’s own assets to help Ukraine, and Canada itself holds a meaningful amount, as does the US.”

Source: kyivpost.com