WASHINGTON: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (May 6) that his country is “not for sale, it won’t be for sale–ever”, delivering a firm message on Canada’s sovereignty during his first visit to the White House amid escalating trade tensions.
Canada’s new prime minister, Mark Carney, who won with a promise to confront US President Donald Trump’s aggression, had the opportunity to do that in Tuesday’s face-to-face Oval Office meeting.
Trump and Carney met in the Oval Office and had lunch. Carney stressed that he was elected to specifically “stand up” to the US president and that Canada is “in a once-in-a-lifetime crisis”.
Despite pre-meeting tensions, the two leaders struck a relatively cordial tone at the outset, with Trump calling Canada “a very special place” and saying the two countries would always remain friends.
Carney’s Liberal Party has pledged to redefine Canada’s economic relationship with Washington, seeking to reduce dependence on US exports while protecting key sectors from rising tariffs.
