Carney backs Russia-Ukraine ‘energy truce,’ assures Canadian oil exports will flow

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OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney told U.S. President Donald Trump that Canada is in favour of a proposed “energy ceasefire” with Russia, while offering assurances that Canadian oil will keep flowing south into the United States.

And while the U.S. president maintains both Russia and Ukraine agreed to his plan, neither side appeared to have any knowledge of it.

According to readouts of a phone call between Carney and Trump released over the weekend by the PMO, Carney thanked the U.S. president for support of an agreement to end strikes on civilian power grids and critical infrastructure in Ukraine.

The U.S.-brokered “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine is a means to halt attacks on energy infrastructure including power plants, electrical grids, fuel depots, petrochemical plants and refineries as the cold winter months approach.

“Canada will continue to join allies in supporting Ukraine’s defences and its citizens,” the readout continued.

“And we will continue to maximize our exports of oil and diesel to the United States that yield well over a million barrels of diesel per day.”

Ceasefire came as surprise to Zelenskyy, despite Trump claiming he endorsed it

Under the agreement, Ukraine would cease launching long-range drone strikes targeting Russia’s fuel industry, while Russia halts attacks on Ukraine’s power grid, heating infrastructure and generation stations.

This ceasefire came as a surprise to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was reportedly caught off guard at the concept, which was first posed Sunday by Trump through posts on his Truth Social account — despite Trump claiming that both sides had agreed to it.

“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump’s post read. 

“Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!”

But despite Trump’s claims, neither Russia nor Ukraine expressed any knowledge of such a deal.

Zelenskyy said he first learned of the deal via reporters seeking his opinion on it, but said Ukraine is open to any reciprocal agreements to protect civilian infrastructure ahead of winter, provided Russia also abides by it.

And despite Trump’s claims of a Russian endorsement, Russia continued its drone and missile strikes against Ukrainian power infrastructure throughout the weekend.

“We support it, but I have not heard approval of this proposal from the Russian side,” Zelenskyy told reporters in Poland on Monday.

“It can become a major step toward ending the war.”

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
X: @bryanpassifiume

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