Canada says it will ‘never back down from threats’ from Trump, who calls for merger with US

Canada will “never back down from the threats” of Donald Trump and will never be part of the United States, Canadian authorities said Tuesday after the president-elect threatened to use “economic force” against Canada.

“President-elect Trump’s comments demonstrate a complete misunderstanding of what makes Canada strong. We will never back down in the face of threats,” Mélanie Joly, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, declared on X. Shortly after, resigning Prime Minister Justin Trudeau added: “Canada will never, ever be part of the United States. »

Donald Trump refused this Tuesday to rule out the idea of ​​using force to annex the Panama Canal and Greenland, also threatening to use “economic force” against Canada. “I can’t assure you about either of them,” said the president-elect, when asked about a possible use of armed forces to annex the canal, a vital artery of global maritime transport, and Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. During a provocative press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence, Donald Trump added that both were “very important to the economic security” of the United States.

“Economic strength”

The future American president also threatened to use “economic force” against Canada, after having affirmed the day before that it was in the interest of this ally of the United States to become the American “51st state”. “No, economic force,” the president-elect responded when asked whether he also planned to use the armed forces to annex Canada, saying that this neighbor was “subsidized” by the United States to his protection.

Donald Trump has already stated on several occasions that he wants to take back the Panama Canal, built by the United States and inaugurated in 1914, if the price of tolls for American ships is not reduced. He again castigated on Tuesday the agreement made in 1977 by then-President Jimmy Carter, which resulted in a transfer of control of the canal to Panama in 1999.

Just before Christmas, Donald Trump also ruled that “for national security and freedom around the world, the United States of America believes that ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.” The son of the president-elect, Donald Trump Jr, also arrived in Greenland on Tuesday for a private visit, as a “tourist” claiming not to have planned any official meetings.