Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney paid an unannounced visit to Kyiv on 24 August, joining President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for Ukraine’s 34th Independence Day celebrations. Carney and U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg laid flowers at a war-memorial wall before the Canadian leader delivered a speech declaring that “only Kyiv and its allies” should shape any peace deal with Russia. Carney said Ottawa supports robust, NATO-style security guarantees for Ukraine once hostilities cease and “does not rule out” deploying Canadian peacekeepers as part of an eventual agreement. The trip marks Carney’s first to Ukraine since taking office in March and comes as Canada seeks to raise its defence profile in Europe after meeting NATO’s 2 % spending target earlier this year. Speaking a day later in Warsaw, Defence Minister David McGuinty said Canada has the capacity to send troops to a post-war mission despite concerns about personnel shortages, reinforcing Carney’s remarks. The prime minister is using a week-long tour of Poland, Germany and Latvia to deepen trade, energy and defence ties, including a new strategic partnership with Warsaw. European partners echoed the push for long-term support. German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil, also visiting Kyiv, said Berlin will “assume responsibility” for security guarantees crafted under Ukrainian leadership. Separately, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store pledged US$8.5 billion in military and civilian assistance for 2026, broadly matching Norway’s contribution this year.