New Canadian PM meets King Charles and Macron after Trump threats

LONDON, United Kingdom — Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday that his country is seeking to strengthen ties with “trusted allies” in Europe. He met with King Charles III and French President Emmanuel Macron on his first foreign trip since taking office.

The trip comes as the United States, under President Donald Trump, has raised threats to Canada’s economy and even sovereignty and has stepped up its rhetoric against its northern neighbor.

After succeeding Justin Trudeau last week, Carney has made a significant move to visit France and Britain, two major European powers, instead of the United States.

King Charles — who is also Canada’s head of state as monarch — greeted Carney with a smile at Buckingham Palace. The Canadian prime minister is also scheduled to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer later in the day.

Earlier, Carney, a former Bank of England governor, met with the French president at the Elysee Palace in Paris.

“In these times, it is more important than ever for Canada to strengthen its ties with trusted allies, such as France,” he said in a joint press conference with Macron.

“I want to make sure that France and the whole of Europe work enthusiastically with Canada, the most European of non-European countries, a country that, like you, is determined to keep its relationship with the United States as positive as possible,” Carney said, emphasizing his country’s desire to maintain positive relations with Washington.

He faces three major challenges: a trade war with the United States, Trump’s threats to annex Canada, and an upcoming national election.

Trump has pushed the Canadian economy to the brink of recession by imposing a series of escalating import tariffs on Canadian goods. In addition, his rhetoric against Canadian sovereignty has raised concerns in the country.

Polls show that a large majority of Canadians disagree with Trump’s view; he believes that Canada should be considered the “fifty-first state of the United States.”

However, the trade war with the United States, on which about three-quarters of Canada’s exports depend, is a serious threat to the country’s economy.

“Security and sovereignty”

Canada, France and Britain are among NATO members that have continued to support the Ukrainian government and military since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This comes as the Trump administration in the US has increased pressure on Kiev to reconcile with Moscow.

London and Paris are planning to form a coalition security force in Ukraine and are looking for new allies.

Macron, speaking alongside Carney, said: “Canada and France seek a lasting and solid peace, with strong guarantees that will protect Ukraine from any new aggression by Russia and ensure the security of all of Europe.”

“We both defend sovereignty and security, which is evident in our unconditional support for Ukraine under your leadership,” Carney told Macron.

The comments came just two days after the two leaders participated in a video conference with Ukrainian supporters hosted by the British prime minister.

France is Canada’s 11th largest trading partner and the UK its third largest. Trump’s tariffs and Canada’s retaliatory measures have made trade with the United States, Canada’s largest export market, difficult.

Canada, of course, has a “Comprehensive and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement” with the European Union, which includes France. It is also a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Transatlantic Trade (CPTPP), to which the UK has also joined.

In his first speech as prime minister, Carney said, “Security is a priority for this government… and so is diversifying our trade and commerce, particularly with Europe and the United Kingdom.”

On his way back from the trip, Carney is scheduled to stop in Iqaluit, in the Nunavut territory—Canada’s closest point to the self-governing nation of Greenland, which has also been the target of Trump’s annexation claim—to “emphasize the sovereignty and security of Canada’s Arctic.”