Former Central Banker Favored to Replace Trudeau as Canada PM

FILE PHOTO: Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor, and current Liberal Party leadership candidate, Mark Carney looks on before delivering remarks at the still-under-construction Gordie Howe International Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, February 5, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio//File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor, and current Liberal Party leadership candidate, Mark Carney looks on before delivering remarks at the still-under-construction Gordie Howe International Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, February 5, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio//File Photo
TT
20

Former Central Banker Favored to Replace Trudeau as Canada PM

FILE PHOTO: Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor, and current Liberal Party leadership candidate, Mark Carney looks on before delivering remarks at the still-under-construction Gordie Howe International Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, February 5, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio//File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor, and current Liberal Party leadership candidate, Mark Carney looks on before delivering remarks at the still-under-construction Gordie Howe International Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, February 5, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio//File Photo

Canada's Liberal Party looked set Sunday to choose a former central banker and political novice as its next leader, replacing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as it confronts threats from US President Donald Trump.

Mark Carney, who served as the governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, is widely expected to be named the new Liberal leader when results from a vote of around 400,000 party members are announced later Sunday, AFP reported.

The other main challenger is Trudeau's former deputy prime minister, Chrystia Freeland, who held several senior cabinet positions in the Liberal government that was first elected in 2015.

Whoever wins the vote will take over from Trudeau as prime minister, but will soon face a general election that polls currently show the rival Conservative Party as slight favorites to win.

Carney has racked up endorsements, including from much of Trudeau's cabinet, and a Freeland win would be a shock for the Liberals as they head towards a general election.

Despite dramatically breaking with the prime minister in December, analysts say voters still tie Freeland to Trudeau's unpopular record.

Carney and Freeland have both maintained that they are the best candidate to defend Canada against Trump's attacks.

The US president has repeatedly spoken about annexing Canada and thrown bilateral trade, the lifeblood of the Canadian economy, into chaos with dizzying tariff actions that have veered in various directions since he took office.



Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Says There Is Now a Good Chance to End War

 Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks to Ukrainian Muslim service members before sharing an iftar with them, a meal to break their fast at sunset, during the holy month of Ramadan, in a mosque in Kyiv, Ukraine March 13, 2025. (Reuters)
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks to Ukrainian Muslim service members before sharing an iftar with them, a meal to break their fast at sunset, during the holy month of Ramadan, in a mosque in Kyiv, Ukraine March 13, 2025. (Reuters)
TT
20

Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Says There Is Now a Good Chance to End War

 Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks to Ukrainian Muslim service members before sharing an iftar with them, a meal to break their fast at sunset, during the holy month of Ramadan, in a mosque in Kyiv, Ukraine March 13, 2025. (Reuters)
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks to Ukrainian Muslim service members before sharing an iftar with them, a meal to break their fast at sunset, during the holy month of Ramadan, in a mosque in Kyiv, Ukraine March 13, 2025. (Reuters)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that he saw a good chance to end the war with Russia after Ukraine accepted a US proposal for a 30-day interim ceasefire and Moscow said it would only agree if certain conditions were met.

"Right now, we have a good chance to end this war quickly and secure peace. We have solid security understandings with our European partners," Zelenskiy said on X.

"We are now close to the first step in ending any war – silence," he said, referring to a truce.

Speaking to reporters, Zelenskiy urged the US and other allies to apply pressure on Moscow, reiterating his belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin will delay reaching a ceasefire as long as possible.

"If there is a strong response from the United States, they will not let them play around. And if there are steps that Russia is not afraid of, they will delay the process," Zelenskiy told media.

He said that the ceasefire along a more than 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) frontline could be controlled with US help via satellites and intelligence. Washington resumed intelligence sharing and military aid after US and Ukrainian officials met in Saudi Arabia this week and Ukraine accepted the ceasefire.

Zelenskiy also said that officials at that meeting discussed the issue of territory, but a difficult dialog would be required to resolve it.

"The issue of territories is the most difficult after the ceasefire," Zelenskiy said at a media briefing.

With the war is in its fourth year, Russian forces control nearly a fifth of Ukrainian territory and they have steadily advanced in the eastern Donetsk region in recent months.

"The ceasefire unblocks the way for the sides to end the war. And the territories ... will be the point that makes it possible to end the war after this issue is resolved," the Ukrainian president said.

Moscow has demanded that Kyiv permanently cede territory claimed by Russia including Crimea and four other regions, a position Ukraine has rejected.

Zelenskiy said he was discussing with Kyiv's allies future security guarantees and also economic support, adding that 100% air defense cover would be required as deterrence in a peace deal.