Canadians ‘Weren’t impressed’ by second UK state visit for Trump, says Mark Carney
Canadians were left unimpressed by the British government’s decision to extend a second state visit invitation to US President Donald Trump, newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has told Sky News.
Sir Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, handed the invitation to President Trump during a recent visit to the oval office, a gesture which Mr Carney said “cut across clear messages” that ottawa had been sending to the white house amid escalating tensions over Canadian sovereignty.
Speaking candidly, Mr Carney remarked, “I think, to be frank, they [Canadians] weren’t impressed by that gesture… given the circumstance. It was at a time when we were being quite clear about the issues around sovereignty.”
The diplomatic misstep comes against the backdrop of ongoing disputes between Washington and Ottawa, after President Trump openly threatened to make Canada the 51st state of the United States—rhetoric that has inflamed Canadian public opinion and heightened anxieties about the country’s sovereignty.
In what many see as a pointed response, Prime Minister Carney has invited King Charles III, who serves as Canada’s head of state, to open the Canadian Parliament later this month. It will be the first time the monarch has performed this duty in nearly half a century, a move Mr Carney said was “not coincidental”.
“All issues around Canada’s sovereignty have been accentuated by the president. So no, it’s not coincidental, but it is also a reaffirming moment for Canadians,” the prime minister said.
Mr Carney, who previously served as governor of the Bank of England, was re-elected following a campaign focused squarely on defending Canadian independence and pushing back against American encroachments. Notably, he had refused to engage directly with President Trump until there was a clear recognition of Canadian statehood from the US side.
Explaining his decision to make the White House his first international stop after re-election, Mr Carney noted that while the president had shifted his position, the threat had not entirely dissipated.
“He was expressing a desire. He’d shifted from the expectation to a desire. He was also coming from a place where he recognised that that wasn’t going to happen,” Mr Carney said.
“Does he still muse about it? Perhaps. Is it ever going to happen? No. Never.”
Despite the highly charged backdrop, Mr Carney described the oval office meeting as “not confrontational” and praised the president’s approach as “very on top of the essence of a wide range of issues” and “able to identify the points of maximum leverage, both in a specific situation but also in a geopolitical situation”.
Following the meeting, tensions between the two nations have somewhat cooled, with both sides expressing a willingness to engage in further talks over trade and security matters. While an agreement is not expected in the immediate term, officials from both capitals have confirmed that constructive discussions have created a foundation for eventual progress.
In a further sign of thawing relations, Mr Carney expressed guarded optimism regarding President Trump’s efforts to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia. The Canadian prime minister said he viewed the president as an “honest broker” and credited him with bringing much-needed momentum to a 30-day ceasefire agreement between the two countries.
Nonetheless, Mr Carney remains wary, indicating that his approach towards the United States remains shaped by a philosophy of caution.
“My motto is: Always plan for the worst,” he concluded.
The developments mark a significant, albeit delicate, reset in relations between Canada and its powerful southern neighbour, with both sides appearing committed to managing tensions pragmatically, while safeguarding their core national interests.
