Carney says he'll tell Putin to end Ukraine war if Trump welcomes him to G20 summit

In this photo released by the Roscongress Foundation, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his speech at the plenary session at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. (Aleksandr Zholobov/Roscongress Foundation via AP)

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says he’ll tell Russian President Vladimir Putin to “get out of Ukraine” if they speak at the G20 summit in December.

U.S. President Donald Trump will host world leaders in Miami for the summit and there are signs he might allow Putin to attend, despite the arrest warrant issued against the Russian leader by the International Criminal Court.

Ottawa says the Trump administration’s decision to host Russia’s finance minister at a G20 meeting this week caused discomfort among allies.

Carney says it’s up to Trump to decide who attends the summit but Putin “only understands strength and directness.”

He says if he speaks with Putin in December, he’ll tell him to give Ukraine back all of the territory Russia took after its 2014 capture of Crimea and the 2022 full-scale invasion.

The United States has barred South Africa from multiple G20 events and Trump has falsely claimed the country is pursuing a genocide against white people.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2026.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press