Carney Backs Trump Energy Ceasefire While Denouncing Russian Diesel Deal
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
Prime Minister Mark Carney signals support for U.S.-led de-escalation efforts in Ukraine, though he warns a new U.S.-Russia fuel pact undermines European stability.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has expressed strong support for an "energy ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, as first reported by CityNews Toronto via a readout from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Writing on X, Carney stated that the agreement has the potential to protect thousands of citizens and significantly de-escalate the conflict. However, CityNews Toronto reports that Carney simultaneously criticized a separate diesel fuel supply arrangement announced Friday by President Trump. This deal, intended to secure millions of tonnes of Russian diesel for the United States, was described by the PMO as being in "direct opposition" to the efforts of Canada, Ukraine, and their allies to establish peace in Europe.
During a Sunday conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Carney argued that the fuel deal would provide Russia with additional revenue to finance its war. Despite this criticism, Carney indicated a willingness to expand sanctions against Russia.
President Trump has framed the fuel deal as a means to relieve price pressures for Americans, attributing global price hikes to Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian energy sites. While U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the administration's legal authority to proceed with the deal, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis told NBC that the arrangement could be illegal under a 2022 congressional ban on Russian energy imports.
President Zelenskyy voiced support for the energy ceasefire but noted that Russia has continued strikes on Ukrainian electricity, gas, and oil facilities. In discussions with Carney, Zelenskyy highlighted Canada's involvement in the FREYJA anti-ballistic system, a European alternative to the American Patriot system developed via the Ukrainian company Fire Point.