Who Canada has picked as Prime Minister to face Trump and whether he will support Kyiv
Mark Carney will take over as Canada’s Prime Minister in the coming days.
"I know how to handle crises," he says.
He will certainly need that experience. In addition to economic difficulties and the general elections, which are set to be held in October 2025, Canada is facing a challenge from its only land neighbour and biggest economic and security partner – the United States.
The American president has not only reignited a tariff war with Canada but has also suggested that the country should join the US as the "51st state."
Canada’s leadership perceives these statements as a serious threat to the country’s sovereignty.
Read more to understand who is taking charge of Canada in this turbulent time in the article by Oleh Pavliuk, a European Pravda journalist – The banker ready to "battle" Trump: what we know about Canada’s future Prime Minister.
Carney began his career at the investment bank Goldman Sachs, spending 13 years moving between Boston, New York, London, Tokyo, and Toronto. In 2003, he left the private sector to become deputy governor of the Bank of Canada. A year later, he took a leadership position in Canada’s Ministry of Finance, where he was responsible for G8 cooperation.
However, Carney gained the most recognition as head of the Bank of Canada.
He led the institution from 2008 to 2013, steering the country’s financial system through the global financial crisis.
Taking the helm of the Bank of Canada at 42, the second-youngest governor in its history, he is credited with saving Canada’s economy during turbulent times.
Just a month after stepping down in 2013, Carney took on a new challenge... leading the Bank of England.
In London, he faced not only the aftermath of the financial crisis but also the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, which threatened to destabilise the British pound, and the 2016 Brexit vote.
Carney will assume the prime ministerial role without any prior political experience, not even a term in parliament.
Whether this lack of political background is a weakness or a strength for the technocratic Carney remains to be seen.
However, his absence from Justin Trudeau’s government could work to his advantage. Without any political baggage from the current administration, Carney has an opportunity to build his own political capital from scratch. This could serve as a much-needed reset for Canada’s Liberal Party, which was struggling even before tensions with Trump escalated.
The new prime minister will have to tackle numerous challenges, from domestic economic issues to relations with the US and support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.
"Donald Trump, as we know, has put unjustified tariffs on what we build, on what we sell and how we make a living. He’s attacking Canadian families, workers and businesses and we cannot let him succeed and we won’t," Carney stated shortly after becoming the Liberal Party leader.
Due to the nature of his previous positions, Carney has not spoken extensively about Ukraine.
However, on social media, he has praised Ukrainians for their extraordinary bravery in resisting Russia’s full-scale invasion and reaffirmed that "Canada is a steadfast ally of Ukraine." During his bid for Liberal Party leadership, he also expressed support for Ukraine’s future membership in both the EU and NATO.