By Rob Gillies and Josh Boak, Associated Press
Washington (AP) – The new Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, won the position with the promise to face the increased assault manifested by President Donald Trump – and he will have the opportunity to do so at a face -to -face oval office meeting on Tuesday.
Trump broke a alliance of several decades by saying that he wanted to make Canada the 51st American state and to take steep prices against an essential partner in the manufacture of cars and the supply of oil, electricity and other goods. The indignation caused by Trump allowed the Liberal Party of Carney to win an amazing victory of return last month while the current trade war and the attacks on Canadian sovereignty scandalized voters.
The Republican President has threatened several times that he intended to make Canada “51st state”. He declared in an interview with “Meet the Press” of NBC on Sunday that the border is an “artificial line” which prevents the two territories from forming a “magnificent country”.
Trump’s openly opponent’s approach has raised questions to Carney and other world leaders on how to manage relations with the United States, some world leaders, such as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, have embarked on a charming offensive. Others, such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, were welcomed by Trump with anger for not having been sufficiently defending.
Robert Bothwell, professor of Canadian history and international relations at the University of Toronto, said that Carney should not meet Trump.
“We saw what he does. We saw what he did with Zelenskyy,” said Bothwell. “And he was certainly going to try to do the same with Carney. It is not in the interest of Carney. It is not in the interest of Canada. ”
Trump and Carney will meet in the oval office and have lunch. Carney stressed that he was specifically elected “standing” to the American president and that Canada is “in a single crisis”. Carney said he expects “difficult” but “constructive” conversations with his American counterpart.
Trump told journalists on Monday that he didn’t really know why Carney was visiting.
“I don’t know what he wants to see me,” said Trump. “But I guess he wants to conclude an agreement.”
The secretary of the United States of trade Howard Lutnick, has still made a doubt as to their interest in repairing relations with Canada in an interview on Monday in the “Kudlow” program of Fox Business Network.
When asked if the United States could conclude an agreement with Canada, Lutnick described the country as “socialist regime” which “feeds mainly on America”. Lutnick said Tuesday’s meeting would be “fascinating”.
Carney, at a press conference on Friday before his trip, said talks would focus on immediate commercial pressures and broader economic and national security relations. He said that his “government would fight to get the best offer for Canada” and “take all the time necessary” to do so, even if Canada pursues a parallel set of talks to deepen relations with other allies and reduce its commitments with the United States
Trump argued that the United States does not need Canada. It is actively going after a Canadian automotive sector largely built by American companies, saying: “They stop work in Mexico, and they stop work in Canada, and they all move here.” He also said that the United States did not need Canada’s energy-although almost a quarter of oil that the United States consumes daily from Alberta province.
The President also denied the military commitments of Canada despite a partnership that ranges from Normandy beaches to the Second World War to the distant sections of Afghanistan.
Trump said Canada spent “less money for soldiers than practically any nation in the world.”
“They pay less NATO than any nation,” he said. “They think we subsidize. They think we’re going to protect them, and we really are. But the truth is that they do not carry their full part, and it is unfair to the United States and our taxpayers. ”
Bothwell noted that Carney could be subjected to little pressure to conclude a quick agreement because Trump has sometimes reversed, delayed or deceased his prices, so that over time, Trump could be in a lower position if the talks are extended.
“It might not matter as much in summer as today, because each time he made one of these announcements next week, it is:” Oh, I had my fingers crossed. I didn’t think it “, he said about Trump.
Daniel Béland, professor of political science at McGill University, said that Carney needed the meeting quickly planned with Trump to fight the trade war launched by the United States Trump imposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum and prices on other products outside the United States-Mexico-Canada, in some cases Relatively low intercepted by the border between the two countries.
“Carney wants to show that he does everything he can, in particular by taking political risks to protect Canadian jobs in fields such as the automotive industry,” said Béland. “If he had postponed his first meeting with President Trump for months and months, the opposition parties and the commentators could have accused the accused of being too shy and of doing bad service in Canada because of this.”
Canada is the main export destination for 36 US states. Nearly $ 3.6 billion Canadian dollars (2.7 billion US dollars) in goods and services cross the border every day. About 60% of US imports of crude oil comes from Canada and 85% of American electricity imports come from Canada.
Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium in the United States and has 34 minerals and critical metals that Pentagon is impatient and invests in national security. Canada is one of the most dependent countries in the world, and 77% of Canada exports go to the United States
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
