Here’s how Mark Carney’s Sunday is going.
At 4:18 p.m. on Sunday, reporters who cover the federal government received this release from the Prime Minister’s Office. It’s all interesting but I’ve highlighted a very unusual sentence in bold type:
Prime Minister Carney speaks with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 11, 2026 / — Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, spoke with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Prime Minister offered his condolences for the victims of Russia’s latest atrocities and reaffirmed Canada’s solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Both leaders underscored the urgent need for Russia to immediately cease its strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
The leaders discussed the new agreement between the United States and Russia to supply millions of tonnes of diesel to the United States. The Prime Minister was clear: this agreement is in direct opposition to the efforts of Ukraine, Canada, and our allies to create peace and stability in Europe. It will provide additional revenue for Russia and help finance its illegal, unjustifiable war against Ukraine.
Canada has imposed over 3,500 sanctions in response to Russia’s violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty. During their conversation, Prime Minister Carney assured President Zelenskyy that Canada will maintain and, where effective, tighten sanctions to support efforts to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
The Prime Minister underscored Canada’s unwavering support for Ukraine – for its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. Since Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable full-scale invasion began, Canada has committed over $8.5 billion in military support and over $750 million for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction. Most recently, Prime Minister Carney welcomed President Zelenskyy to Canada, where the leaders announced $355 million to support Ukraine’s air defences. During today’s call, they discussed increasing coordination with allies to build on this support for Ukraine’s air defence.
Prime Minister Carney and President Zelenskyy agreed to remain in close contact.
At 4:46 p.m., reporters received this second release from the PMO. I’ve highlighted part of one sentence.
Readout – Prime Minister Carney speaks with President of the United States Donald J. Trump
OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 11, 2026 / — Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, spoke with the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.
The Prime Minister thanked the President for his leadership toward securing an energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. He expressed Canada’s strong support for this agreement and reiterated President Zelenskyy’s call for Russia to uphold it. It is imperative that all attacks on energy infrastructure and civilians cease immediately.
Canada will continue to join allies in supporting Ukraine’s defences and its citizens. And we will continue to maximise our exports of oil and diesel to the United States that yield well over a million barrels of diesel per day.
At 4:53, seven minutes after the second release went out, this tweet from Carney appeared on Elon Musk’s social media site, X.
This morning I spoke with Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy. In both conversations, we focused on the rapidly evolving situation around energy and the war in Ukraine.
The new energy ceasefire being brokered by President Trump between Russia and Ukraine has the potential to significantly de-escalate the war and protect thousands of civilians from harm and hardship. Canada calls on Russia to uphold this agreement as we keep working with our Allies to secure a just and lasting peace for Ukraine and Europe.
Rapidly evolving, maybe. But Donald Trump’s only statement of the day on Ukraine appeared on his terrible, bug-ridden, ad-pocked Truth Social site at 10:16 a.m., six hours before the Carney PMO’s first release. It said this:
Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP
Let’s walk through this.
I thought it might be possible that the conversation with Zelensky happened before Trump announced his latest fake ENERGY CEASEFIRE. But not according to Zelensky. He tweeted in the early afternoon, Ottawa time. Again, I’ve highlighted the key bit:
I am grateful to @MarkJCarney for his sympathy for Ukrainians amid the ongoing Russian strikes. The Prime Minister is very well informed about our defense needs, particularly anti-ballistic defense and preparations for winter. It is very good that Canada has become actively involved in developing the FREYJA anti-ballistic system jointly with Europe. This is exactly what can provide greater protection not only to Ukraine but also globally.
Of course, we also discussed the energy ceasefire announced by the President of the United States. Ukraine supports this step, and we have stated so, but now we need a response from Russia – what Russia will say to the American President and whether it will stop striking our energy infrastructure.
I thank everyone who helps defend Ukraine and advances clear, fair steps toward peace! Thank you to Canada and Mark personally for their full support!
So: Trump announces an “energy ceasefire” between two countries. The president of one of the countries, Zelensky, says it’s news to him, and announces for good measure that Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure continue.
The Canadian prime minister gets on the phone with Zelensky and makes one of the starkest criticisms of a US president that any Canadian prime minister has made in my life. “The Prime Minister was clear: this agreement is in direct opposition to the efforts of Ukraine, Canada, and our allies to create peace and stability in Europe. It will provide additional revenue for Russia and help finance its illegal, unjustifiable war against Ukraine.” The antecedent for “this agreement” can be found in the previous sentence: “the new agreement between the United States and Russia to supply millions of tonnes of diesel to the United States.”
Carney was saying Trump’s diesel deal with Putin “is in direct opposition” to “efforts” to “create peace.” It will “help finance” Putin’s “war against Ukraine.”
He’s calling Donald Trump a Putin ally.
And then he has his office send out a news release putting that conversation on the record for the whole world to see.
But he also gets on the blower to Don Trump and “thank[s] the President for his leadership” on the “energy ceasefire,” which he has already heard — from a purported party to the purported ceasefire — either does not exist or is being ignored by Russia. Carney expresses “Canada’s strong support for this agreement.” Which either does not exist or is being ignored by Russia.
As for the diesel deal, which he was “clear” on the Zelensky call “is in direct opposition” to “…peace” — well, his own office’s readout of the Trump call provides no indication that he even mentioned it to Trump.
And then seven minutes after the second release, the PM is up on X, talking about “the rapidly evolving situation.” I bet it’s been a rapidly evolving situation at whatever the PMO looks like on a Thanksgiving weekend.
I welcome energetic attempts in the comment section to reconcile these terribly divergent statements on some of the gravest matters of international conflict and security. To me this looks like one of the most embarrassing days in Mark Carney’s career. You can’t say what Carney said about Trump to Zelensky, and then not say it to Trump, and then send both versions into the world. It’s like a Prague shopkeeper energetically flipping a sign in and out of a window, depending on who might be looking.
