Mark Carney has dismissed any possibility of Canada joining the US and vowed to prevail in the escalating trade dispute with Washington.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has asserted Canada’s independence, rejecting US President Donald Trump’s recurring suggestions about the country becoming the 51st state.
Trump reiterated on Thursday that “Canada only works as a state” and defended his decision to impose tariffs on the country, claiming that the US spends $200 billion a year to subsidize Ottawa.
Speaking outside Ottawa’s Rideau Hall after being sworn in as prime minister on Friday, Carney dismissed the notion of a US annexation.
“We will never, ever, in any way, shape, or form, be part of the United States,” he emphasized.
Carney’s election as leader of Canada’s ruling Liberal Party last week positioned him to become prime minister after Justin Trudeau’s January resignation, which stemmed from low approval ratings tied to inflation, a housing crisis, and economic challenges. In his inaugural address on Sunday, the economist and former central banker pledged to maintain Canada’s retaliatory tariffs until “Americans show us respect.”
“We didn’t ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves,” Carney stated, adding, “Canada will win.”
Beyond his repeated proposals for Canada to integrate with the US, Trump has also shown interest in annexing Greenland, a Danish territory in the Arctic, and reclaiming US control over the Panama Canal.
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