In Warsaw, Carney deepens Canada’s defence, trade ties with Poland

He has not clarified in what capacity any soldiers would be on the ground, and said conversations of what support from ally nations looks like are still unfolding.

Tusk ruled out the possibility of Polish soldiers entering Ukraine after the war is over, but will organize logistics at the border to help the war-torn country and protect the Europe-Russia border during a joint news conference with Carney on Monday.

Defence Minister David McGuinty told reporters Monday before Carney’s meeting with Tusk that the shape of Canada’s role in sustaining an eventual peace in Ukraine is still up for discussion.

“When (Prime Minister Carney) was speaking, he was speaking in the context of a whole series of possibilities. And that’s very difficult to prejudge. We’ll see how this evolves over time. But but we are hopeful that peace will come,” McGuinty said.

The prime minister also met with Poland’s newly elected president, Karol Nawrocki, before heading to Germany for a meeting with Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday.

Catherine Godin, Canada’s ambassador to Poland, said the strategic partnership between the nations reflects a “mutual appetite” for more bilateral trade, particularly as U.S. President Donald Trump wages his global tariff campaign.

“The scope of what we can do together is only growing,” she told reporters in Warsaw.

“Frankly the importance of Poland is growing. Now it’s the fastest growing economy in Europe, so we need to take Poland into account.”

Poland has been one of the fastest-growing economies in Europe over the past decade, and has taken on increasing geopolitical importance since the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Global Affairs Canada’s profile on Poland says both countries have “a strong and enduring partnership based on shared fundamental values, mutual respect and robust co-operation.”

Marcin Gabrys, chair of Canadian Studies at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, said Poland has “very solid foundations” in its relations with Canada, and wants more co-operation in sectors such as nuclear technology, with both countries signing an agreement in January for projects like small modular reactors.

A 2017 trade deal between Canada and Poland has doubled trade of goods between the countries, but Gabrys noted that there is now a trade deficit for Canada, with Polish companies sending more goods and investment into Canada than vice versa.

“There are a lot of opportunities in terms of economic co-operation,” he said, including in mining and critical minerals, and ties through Poland’s large diaspora in Canada.

Much of Canada’s recent engagement with Poland has surrounded Ukraine, from Ottawa’s resettlement program that brought thousands of Ukrainian women and children to Canada through Poland, to collaboration on bolstering the defence of NATO countries bordering Russia.

— with files from Dylan Robertson in Ottawa

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 25, 2025.

Craig Lord, The Canadian Press