PM Mark Carney counters Trump’s Davos taunt, asserting Canada thrives on its own merits while calling for middle powers to unite.
QUEBEC CITY: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney directly countered US President Donald Trump’s inflammatory claim that “Canada lives because of the United States.”
“Canada and the United States have built a remarkable partnership,” Carney stated in a national address ahead of a new legislative session.
He added, “Canada doesn’t live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadian.”
Trump’s taunt at the World Economic Forum came a day after Carney’s own speech at the Davos gathering earned a rare standing ovation.
In that address, Carney argued the US-led global system was enduring a “rupture” without mentioning Trump by name.
He said middle powers like Canada needed to realise “compliance” would not shelter them from major power aggression.
Trump later remarked, “I watched your prime minister yesterday. He wasn’t so grateful.”
The US president added, “Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark.”
Carney told the Davos audience that middle powers must chart a new path to defend international values.
In his domestic speech, he reaffirmed Canada should model an alternative in an era of “democratic decline.”
“Canada can’t solve all the world’s problems, but we can show that another way is possible,” the prime minister said.
