Trump and Carney discuss war in Ukraine during first meeting, reports say
Photo: Donald Trump, 47th President of the United States of America (Getty Images)
During the first meeting between US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, which took place on May 6 in Washington, the two sides discussed a range of global issues, including the war in Ukraine, CBC News reports.
According to an unnamed high-ranking Canadian official, Trump and Carney discussed many foreign policy matters during the meeting. Overall, both leaders got along well, and the US President repeatedly emphasized that it was a great honor for him to host the new Head of the Canadian government at the White House.
What Trump and Carney talk about
Global issues, including war in Ukraine
During the meeting, Trump and Carney discussed:
- full-scale war in Ukraine;
- hostility with China;
- situation with Iran.
According to the official, Trump wanted to hear Carney's views on these topics, as the Head of the White House is trying to fulfill his campaign promise to quickly end the war in Ukraine and tamp down Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Trump also asked Carney to share his thoughts on Israel and Gaza, although there was relatively little talk about that issue.
Drug crisis
One of Trump's senior advisers, Stephen Miller, was present at the meeting and raised the issue of the drug crisis. Carney gently emphasized that Canada is not the source of the drug fentanyl and noted that the government's border strategy has significantly reduced the flow of illegal drugs and migrants into the country.
51st state and tariffs
Despite Trump's courteous tone, as CBC News reports, Carney made it clear to the US President that unifying Canada and the United States into one country was unrealistic and asked the Head of the White House to stop talking about annexation.
Trump, in turn, acknowledged that it "takes two to tango" for Canada to join as the 51st state, making it unlikely to happen.
The Canadian Prime Minister also told Trump that his tariffs on Canadian goods should be lifted if a new trade agreement is reached between the two countries.
Trump's claims on Canada
Since the start of his second term, Trump has repeatedly stated that Canada could potentially become the 51st state of the US. During a Christmas greeting, the US President also described the advantages of possibly including Canada in his country.
As reported by the media, Trump didn't shy away from mentioning his idea of annexing Canada even during his meeting with Carney, but the Canadian Prime Minister didn't stay silent.
