PM Carney visits Ukraine, Canada ‘not excluding boots on the ground’ in possible security guarantee, official says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirms ties with Canada, expressing gratitude for its support and solidarity.

Canada is not excluding the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine in the event it reaches a ceasefire with Russia, a senior Canadian government official said ahead of Independence Day celebrations in Kyiv where Prime Minister Mark Carney was to be recognized as the guest of honour on Sunday.

“We are not excluding boots on the ground,” the official told reporters during a secure background briefing ahead of the prime minister’s trip. For security reasons, details of the trip were not allowed to be released until Carney arrived in Ukraine.

The official said discussions by the “Coalition of the Willing” --- the group of 30 countries

looking to support a path forward for Ukraine in the war with Russia --- about what future security guarantees for Ukraine could look like in the event of a ceasefire are ongoing, but their “form … has yet to be determined.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has said his country will not send troops to Ukraine as part of a security guarantee.

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Carney wasn’t quite as specific speaking in Ottawa Friday, saying “Canada has (the) potential to have an important role” in future security guarantees if and when fighting between Ukraine and Russia stops.

“Any security guarantee starts with a robust Ukrainian army, and that means weapons, that means training, that means viability,” Carney said.

“It means that there has to be security, and on the land, in the air and in the sea,” he added, noting there’s potential for members of the coalition to provide support in all those areas.

Carney said Canada’s Chief of the Defence Staff is involved in talks within a smaller working group within the broader 30-nation coalition, working on potential models for security guarantees.

He described the situation as “fluid” and “delicate.”

During the pre-trip briefing, officials also provided context for Carney’s attendance as the guest of honour at the Independence Day events in Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited Carney in their very first phone call after Carney became Prime Minister.

“We are the most important supporter outside Europe,” said a second official, also noting the large Ukrainian diaspora in Canada.

Officials described Carney’s presence in Kyiv as “very symbolic.”

Following his time in Ukraine, the prime minister will meet with politicians, business leaders and Canadian troops in Poland, Germany and Latvia, as part of a trip aimed at deepening trade and security ties.