President Donald Trump is hosting Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House today, Tuesday, amidst tense bilateral relations between the neighboring countries.
Prior to the visit, Carney stated that the meeting would focus on tariffs and the countries’ bilateral relations.
However, Trump expressed uncertainty on Monday about what Carney intended to discuss during their meeting. “I think he wants to make a deal. Everyone wants that,” he remarked.
Carney won the Canadian elections held on April 28, supported by his strong stance against Trump.
Trump has frequently threatened to annex Canada, making it the 51st state of the United States. He has also imposed hefty tariffs on the country, which has a closely tied economy with the U.S.
Trump’s comments regarding the annexation of Canada have provoked widespread anger.
In a weekend television interview, Trump clarified that the use of military force “is not an option for him,” and indicated that it is “extremely unlikely” that matters would escalate to military intervention by his country.
Following his party’s victory in last week’s parliamentary elections, Carney committed to a firm response against the U.S. government’s aggressive policies.
In his victory speech, Carney stated: “President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us: that will never happen.”
He further added, “When I meet with President Trump, it will be to discuss the future of the economic and security relationship between two sovereign nations, and we are well aware that we have many other options beyond the United States to foster prosperity for all Canadians.”
