Canada FM urges deadline for Russia to accept US-led Ukraine ceasefire
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When asked whether a specific deadline should be imposed on Moscow, the Canadian Foreign Minister answered, "Yes."
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Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly speaks during the G7 foreign ministers meeting in La Malbaie, Quebec, Thursday, March 13, 2025 (Saul Loeb/Pool via AP)
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said on Friday that Russia should be given a firm deadline to respond to a US-brokered ceasefire proposal aimed at de-escalating the war in Ukraine. Speaking at a NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels, Joly also underlined the importance of imposing consequences should Moscow refuse to engage with the plan.
"We think that it's a good idea that we work on having a ceasefire and that the US is talking to both Ukraine and at the same time Russia. But at one point, we need to have a decision and there need to be consequences," Joly said.
When asked whether a specific deadline should be imposed on Moscow, she answered, "Yes."
Joly's remarks come after US negotiators held indirect talks with Russian and Ukrainian officials last week in Riyadh, where the two sides considered a temporary 30-day ceasefire focused on the Black Sea region. According to a statement from President Volodymyr Zelensky's office, Ukraine has agreed to the proposal, which includes a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure and allows for potential extensions.
While Moscow has indicated limited openness to the plan, it has attached several conditions—chief among them the lifting of sanctions on the Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank). Russian officials also signaled that the proposal, "in its current form," does not meet their expectations, raising concerns that the Kremlin may be using the talks to stall while continuing its military operations.
Within Ukraine, however, doubts are also growing over the direction of US involvement. A recent poll by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) revealed that over half of Ukrainians fear that US President Donald Trump's push for a peace deal may result in an unjust outcome. Only 3% of respondents expected a fully fair deal, while a combined 54% anticipated some level of unfairness. The poll also found that 67% of Ukrainians believe Washington is growing weary of backing Kiev and is pressuring Ukraine to make concessions.
These fears have been further amplified by a leaked draft of a proposed US-Ukraine economic agreement, which would establish a US-controlled investment fund to oversee key Ukrainian sectors such as oil, gas, and infrastructure. Under the current terms, the US would retain full revenue rights until Ukraine repays a $100 billion debt with 4% interest.
Critics in both Kiev and Brussels have warned that the deal could undermine Ukrainian sovereignty and complicate Ukraine's EU accession ambitions, given the bloc's strict competition regulations.
Read more: Ukraine-US minerals deal open-ended, no security guarantees: Rada off.
