Trudeau says Trump’s threat to the annex to Canada is “real”

Trump first mentioned the idea of ​​absorbing Canada at his dinner with Trudeau in December. At the time, Canadian officials dismissed it as a joke.

But Trudeau’s comments on Friday suggest a change in how Canada perceives Trump’s remarks.

An Ipsos poll in January showed that the majority of Canadians (80%) opposed their country becoming part of the United States and voted “yes” in a referendum on the issue. It indicates that there is no.

Such a move requires approval from both Congressional rooms in the United States, and requires a large majority of 60 votes to pass the Senate.

In Canada, Trump’s threat has caused national anxiety. Around three-quarters of Canadian exports are sold to the US, and sudden tariffs on these goods could seriously damage Canada’s economy and endanger thousands of unemployment.

Politicians in some states are launching “local buys” campaigns to encourage Canadians to spend their money at home rather than in the US. Some Canadians have cancelled their trip south of the border in protest.

However, authorities also tried to push closer ties with the US in the wake of tariffs, saying Canada is open to establishing an alliance with Canada on energy and critical minerals.

Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, who is in Washington, DC this week to meet his American counterpart this week in Washington, DC, said the close collaboration would be “a favorable to both sides.”

At Friday’s summit, Trudeau said Canada faces the potential for a “more challenging and long-term political situation in the US” and must find a way to strengthen its own economy and trade relations in the coming years. He said that it won’t.