Carney, Zelenskyy Stress Ukraine Role in Peace Talks Ahead Trump-Putin Summit

Ahead of the August 15 summit in Alaska between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Mark Carney held discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirming that Ukraine must be directly involved in any peace negotiations and decisions regarding its territorial future. Both Carney and Zelenskyy emphasized that international borders cannot be changed by force and called for continued pressure on Russia, including robust security guarantees for Ukraine, to end its aggression. Zelenskyy expressed skepticism about Russia's sincerity in ending the conflict, accusing Moscow of attempting to buy time and insisting that sanctions remain until Ukraine is included in talks. Trump described the upcoming summit as a preliminary meeting to explore the possibility of peace and indicated future talks could include Zelenskyy. The leaders underscored the importance of building peace with Ukraine's participation rather than imposing terms upon it, with Canada pledging ongoing military aid and price caps on Russian oil in coordination with European partners. Meanwhile, global diplomatic efforts continue, with invitations extended to Zelenskyy and others for further discussions on resolving the war.