The possibility of Canada joining the United States as the 51st state is no longer being considered by American leadership. This was confirmed by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during an interview with renowned journalist Christiane Amanpour, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to CNN.
When directly asked about former U.S. President Donald Trump’s alleged intentions to annex Canada, Carney replied succinctly and clearly: “No, he does not want to.” According to the prime minister, although Trump “admires Canada” and may have once entertained such thoughts, the matter is not currently on the agenda.
This is not the first time officials have rejected such claims. Back in May, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra stated that Trump “no longer speaks” about annexation, although the former president later made social media posts addressing the topic.
Carney also noted that despite the historically close ties between Canada and the U.S., his country is actively strengthening partnerships with the United Kingdom, France, and Australia, especially in defense. One example is a joint initiative with Australia to develop new radar systems aimed at protecting Arctic territories.
At the same time, the head of the Canadian government acknowledged that pressure from Trump had pushed Canada to invest more in its defense sector. “We are in NATO, and Trump is focused on ensuring all allies, including Canada, make their contributions. And I believe we are doing that now,” the prime minister added.
Earlier we wrote that Canadian PM declares an end to traditional ties with the U.S.