Prime Minister Mark Carney has stated that any potential encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the upcoming G20 summit will be brief. The summit is set to take place in Miami and invitations have been extended to Putin by U.S. President Donald Trump. Carney expressed that if he meets Putin, his message will be straightforward: urging Putin to withdraw from Ukraine, return control to Ukraine, and put an end to the ongoing conflict that is causing significant casualties.

When asked about the possibility of the Trump administration rescinding the invitation to Putin, Carney emphasized that while there are justifiable reasons to exclude Putin, the decision ultimately lies with the host country. Putin has not attended a G20 summit since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, for which an arrest warrant has been issued by the International Criminal Court.

During a recent gathering of G20 finance ministers in Asheville, N.C., hosted by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov was also present. Canada’s Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne highlighted the discomfort caused by Siluanov’s attendance and reiterated Canada’s unwavering support for Ukraine.

It was reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit Canada in the coming week. Zelenskyy’s last visit to Canada was in December, where he met with Carney before engaging in discussions with Trump regarding the conflict in Ukraine.

Carney’s stance mirrors that of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who at the 2014 G20 summit, directly told Putin to vacate Ukraine following the annexation of Crimea. Despite recent drone strikes in Kyiv by Russia, both sides have expressed optimism about the prospects for peace, with Putin acknowledging the willingness of several countries, including the U.S. and China, to support a peaceful resolution.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha expressed hope for a renewed diplomatic push towards peace, emphasizing the need for active engagement by various global capitals. He hinted at a potential shift in the peace efforts but did not provide further details, urging observers to stay informed.