The handshake, the official picket, the congratulations for a "great victory". The first face-to-face meeting between Donald Trump and Mark Carney, who was elected Prime Minister of Canada only six weeks ago on an anti-tycoon platform, apparently went well, considering the premises. No direct clash like the one that has now gone down in history in the Oval Office with Volodymyr Zelensky, which the president mentioned in the bilateral meeting with the Canadian. But no great steps forward on the main issues that divide the two neighbors at the moment: tariffs and American designs on Ottawa.
"We are not for sale and we never will be," Carney immediately clarified. " As you know, some places can't be bought," the prime minister said. The tycoon, however, replied "never say never," insisting on the alleged advantages for Canada if it became the 51st American state throughout the meeting. "It would be a wonderful marriage, it would be a huge advantage for Canadians to be part of the United States." The commander in chief then assured that "I want to be a friend of Canada, above all else. It's a special place," and took the opportunity to launch a dig at Carney's predecessor, Justin Trudeau, with whom relations had degenerated.
"I used to call him governor, maybe that didn't help him," Trump joked, while congratulating the prime minister on his "great comeback, almost as great as mine." On the other and perhaps more pressing issue, that of tariffs, at least officially no progress has been made. Shortly before receiving the prime minister at the White House, the president had launched a very harsh attack against his neighbor on Truth. "I look forward to meeting the new prime minister of Canada, Mark Carney, and I want to work with him, but I can't understand one simple truth: why does America subsidize Canada with 200 billion dollars a year, in addition to providing them with free military protection and many other things? - he thundered - We don't need their cars, we don't need their energy, we don't need their lumber, we don't need anything they have, except their friendship, which we hope to always maintain. They, on the other hand, need everything from us!" Fiery words, repeated even during the face-to-face meeting.
"We don't do much business with Canada, they do a lot of business with us," the president said, citing the "top-notch" military equipment that Canadians buy from the U.S. And when a reporter asked if there was anything Carney could say to get the tariffs on Canada scrapped, Trump responded with a firm "no," before later declaring that he would like to strike a "new trade deal" with his neighbor. The Canadian prime minister, for his part, stressed that the USMCA, the agreement between Mexico, Canada and the United States, is a "basis for broader negotiations" and that some aspects will have to change, suggesting that Trump has used parts of the agreement to manage the increase in tariffs . The tycoon also returned to China - "they want to negotiate but we will meet with them at the right time" - and other countries with which there is an ongoing trade war, insisting that they are the ones under pressure and not the United States.
"They need to sign agreements with us. They want a slice of our market. We don't want a slice of theirs," he reiterated, comparing America to a "super luxury" store that offers big promotions. The president also hinted at a "big announcement" he will make later this week or on Monday, before leaving for Saudi Arabia, but declined to say whether it involves tariffs. "It will be very positive," he said.
(Online Union)