King left as ‘piggy in the middle’ over Canada-US stand-off
It’s hard to imagine it, but sometimes the King just has to do as he’s told.
At least when it comes to the wishes of his governments and prime ministers in his Commonwealth realms, and just sometimes, that puts him in a difficult position.
The row between America and Canada is a prime example, the two countries in this stand-off with each other, with the King frankly left as piggy in the middle.
And that’s because his prime ministers, both Sir Keir Starmer and Mark Carney, know just how priceless royal soft diplomacy can be.
It is surprising and striking that Carney has been so blatant when he admits that inviting King Charles to open parliament is a display of sovereignty.
Mark Carney, who was invited to Buckingham Palace in March, understands the value of royal soft diplomacy. Pic: PA
It’s often left to the optics of the moment to speak for themselves. But at a time when Donald Trump has been making those 51st state comments, Carney has to deploy whatever he can.
While probably not surprising, it may be difficult for the monarch and his advisors to hear how badly the offer of a state visit by Starmer to Trump has gone down in Canada. A state visit that Starmer knew was ultimately going to help the UK seal a deal with the US.
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Trump and Carney’s ‘awkward meeting’ analysed
But it will make the reaction from Canadians to the King and Queen worth watching when they go to Ottawa in two weeks’ time.
There is not a lot that the King can do about that, except continue to show his support and affection for Canada.
We’ve certainly seen that in spades in recent months with various meetings with Canadians at Buckingham Palace, many made as public as possible with cameras invited in to capture them.
The palace tells us it’s not a step change or a deliberate shift of focus, but it has felt more pronounced in the current climate.
The King and Mark Carney were all smiles in March, but Trump’s state invite has apparently upset Canadians. Pic: PA
Read more from Sky News:
King reaffirms commitment to Canada
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We often talked about Queen Elizabeth’s quiet influence on the world stage, but you have to remember for 70 years her son Charles was there, watching, learning and very regularly stepping in at the highest level to help achieve the diplomatic aims of the government of the day.
He knows what his role is and the “constitutional guard rails” that his aides will often refer to, that he must operate within.
In fact, as a man who I’m told constantly asks “what more can I do”, I suspect he is, in some ways, enjoying the role he knows he can and must play in this current turbulence.
Talk to anyone in diplomatic circles and they will always tell you we shouldn’t underestimate the power of a listening ear or a quiet word over a cup of tea, a speciality in which the royal family excel.
Vladimir Putin told Donald Trump he “will not back down” from Russia’s goals in Ukraine during a phone call today, the Kremlin has said.
The Russian president spoke to his US counterpart for almost an hour, and Mr Trump “again raised the issue of an early end to military action” in Ukraine, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.
In response, Mr Putin said “Russia will not back down” from its aims there, which include “the elimination of the well-known root causes that led to the current state of affairs,” Mr Ushakov said.
The phrase “root causes” is shorthand for Moscow’s argument that it was compelled to invade Ukraine in order to prevent the country from joining NATO.
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Trump and Putin’s latest call on Ukraine
Ukraine and its European allies say this is a pretext to justify what they call an imperial-style war, but Mr Trump has previously shown sympathy with Russia.
At the same time, Mr Putin told the US president that Russia is ready to continue negotiating, the aide said.
The Russian president said any prospective peace deal must see Ukraine give up its NATO bid and recognise his country’s territorial gains.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, seen with Mr Trump in June, is pushing for Ukraine to join NATO. Pic: Reuters
He also briefed Mr Trump on agreements made last month, which saw Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of war and dead soldiers.
Specific dates for the third round of peace talks in Istanbul were not discussed – nor was the US decision to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine.
Mr Putin and Mr Trump’s call came after the Pentagon confirmed some weapons due to be sent to Ukraine have been held as it reviews military stockpiles.
The paused shipments include air defence missiles and precision-guided artillery, two people familiar with the situation have said.
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The decision led to Ukraine calling in the acting US envoy to Kyiv on Wednesday to underline the importance of military aid from Washington.
Kyiv also cautioned that the move would weaken Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against intensifying Russian airstrikes and battlefield advances.
Mr Putin and Mr Trump’s phone call was the sixth they have publicly disclosed since the US president returned to the White House in January.
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