MONTEAL: With Canada鈥檚 economy and even sovereignty under unprecedented threat from its southern neighbor the United States, its new leader has embarked on a trans-Atlantic trip to strengthen ties with traditional friends France and Britain.
Just days into his mandate, Prime Minister Mark Carney faces threats on three fronts: A trade war with the Washington, US President Donald Trump鈥檚 threats to annex his country, and looming domestic elections.
But, despite the tension at home, he is expecting warm welcomes on three days of visits to Paris, London and Iqaluit in Canada鈥檚 northernmost territory, Nunavut.
鈥淐anada was built upon a union of peoples 鈥� indigenous, French, and British,鈥� Carney said, in a statement released before he set off from Ottawa on Sunday, two days after he was sworn in, replacing 10-year veteran prime minister Justin Trudeau as leader of the G7, NATO and Commonwealth power.
鈥淢y visit to France and the United Kingdom will strengthen trade, commercial, and defense ties with two of our strongest and most reliable partners, and my visit to Nunavut will be an opportunity to bolster Canada鈥檚 Arctic sovereignty and security, and our plan to unlock the North鈥檚 full economic potential.鈥�
Carney did not say why Canada might be in need of 鈥渞eliable partners,鈥� but he didn鈥檛 need to 鈥� Trump鈥檚 imposition of an escalating raft of import tariffs on Canadian goods has threatened to trigger a recession, and his scorn for Canadian sovereignty sent jitters through the former ally.
Opinion polls show a large majority of Canadian voters reject Trump鈥檚 argument that their country would be better off as the 鈥�51st state of the United States,鈥� but the trade war is a threat to the economy of the vast country of 41 million people, which has long enjoyed a close US partnership.
On Monday, 60-year-old Carney will be in Paris for a working dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and discuss how to, according to the Canadian leader鈥檚 office, 鈥渂uild stronger economic, commercial, and defense ties.鈥�
According to the Elysee, the two leaders 鈥渨ill discuss Russia鈥檚 war of aggression against Ukraine, international crises, and projects at the heart鈥� of the 鈥渟trategic partnership鈥� between Paris and Ottawa.
Canada, France and Britain are among the NATO members that have maintained strong support for Ukraine鈥檚 beleaguered government and military since Russia鈥檚 all-out invasion in February 2022, even as Trump鈥檚 US administration has bullied Kyiv to make concessions to Moscow.
London and Paris are putting together plans for a coalition security force in Ukraine and looking for allies.
France is Canada鈥檚 11th-largest trading partner and Britain its third at a time when Trump鈥檚 tariffs and Canadian retaliatory measures are threatening trade with its huge southern neighbor 鈥� destination of three-quarters of Canada鈥檚 exports.
But Canada also has a 鈥淐omprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement鈥� with the European Union, which includes France, and is a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which now also includes Britain.
After Paris, Carney heads for London, where he once worked as governor of the Bank Of England, for talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and King Charles III, the monarch who is head of state in both Britain and Canada.
In his first speech as prime minister, Carney said: 鈥淪ecurity is a priority for this government, reinforcing our security, as is diversifying our trading and commercial relationships, of course, with both Europe and the United Kingdom.鈥�
On his return leg, Carney will touch down in Iqaluit, in Nunavut, the Canadian territory closest to the Danish autonomous country of Greenland 鈥� another Trump target for annexation 鈥� to 鈥渞eaffirm Canada鈥檚 Arctic security and sovereignty.鈥�