Carney meets with King Charles on first international trip as prime minister
New prime minister's whistle-stop tour will see him visit Paris, London and Iqaluit
Prime Minister Mark Carney landed in England on Monday where he had a private audience with King Charles at Buckingham Palace before meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Carney was presented to the King inside the London palace, and explained to Canada's monarch that he did not have his Order of Canada pin because it fell off and broke on the tarmac upon his arrival.
Charles jokingly offered Carney his pin, but the prime minister refused, saying he is "not of that rank."
This is Carney's first official foreign trip since he was sworn in on March 14, which includes visits to France and the U.K. On his way home, Carney will be stopping in Iqaluit.
The trip to London is a bit of a homecoming, as Carney became the first non-British governor in the Bank of England's 319-year history when he took over the top job on July 1, 2013. He served until March 15, 2020.
Carney arrives at Buckingham Palace to meet with King CharlesAfter leaving the palace, Carney went to 10 Downing Street where he met with Starmer. The leaders sat for photos before going into their meeting. They made brief statements but did not take any questions.
Carney called the long-standing diplomatic relationship between Canada and the U.K. "remarkable," saying it is based on shared values.
"We're at a point in history where the world is being reordered," Carney said, adding that the two countries' "security co-operation, which is seamless, is essential," as the pair work through the G7 to help "reshape the world."
Starmer thanked Carney for voicing Canada's ongoing support for Ukraine. "It doesn't surprise me that our two countries see this through a similar lense, with the same objectives," the British PM said.
Meeting with Macron
Carney began the day in Paris with a visit to the rebuilt Notre-Dame Cathedral before sitting down for a private lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palais de l'Élysée.
"It is more important than ever for Canada to strengthen its ties with its reliable allies, such as France," Carney said in French before lunch with Macron.
Describing Canada as the "most European of non-European countries," Carney told Macron he is "determined, like you, to maintain the most positive possible relations with the United States.
"We must strengthen our diplomatic ties to address a world that is increasingly unstable and dangerous," he said. "Canada is a reliable, trustworthy and strong partner of France, which shares our values and lives them through action, during this age of economic and geopolitical crisis."
Canada must strengthen ties with reliable allies like France, Carney says Macron said the diplomatic relationship with Canada supports the values both countries hold dear, such as the "development for fair trade and protection of the planet" and the defence of democracy.
"We are receiving you and welcoming you as a friend with great joy and forming of a lot of ambition and many projects together," he said.
Since U.S. President Donald Trump came back into office, he has imposed tariffs on Canadian goods including steel and aluminum and made numerous remarks about his desire to turn Canada into the 51st state. He is threatening to impose tariffs on all Canadian products on April 2.
Macron did not mention Trump by name but he did condemn the imposition of tariffs on U.S. allies.
"We believe that fair trade that respects international rules is a good thing for everyone's prosperity," Macron said. "It's far more effective than tariffs that simply create inflation and destroy the integration of our economies and our supply chains."
Partnership on intelligence and security
The leaders did not take questions after their meeting, but according to a readout from the Prime Minister's Office, they discussed their intention to build stronger security and economic ties "including in the areas of ... artificial intelligence, critical minerals and clean energy."
Carney and Macron also spoke about the need to "defend rules-based free trade."
The PMO said the meeting also resulted in a new partnership between the countries in the areas of intelligence and security.
"The partnership will focus on enhancing cybersecurity and intelligence-sharing on significant threats," the readout said. "Key topics will include economic security, violent extremism, counter-proliferation, interference, espionage, sabotage and threats associated with advanced technologies."
Carney also used the meeting to thank Macron for "organizing several important meetings regarding Ukraine over the past few weeks."
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New Canadian PM Mark Carney speaks after meeting with King Charles | LIVE
REPLAY: New Canadian PM Mark Carney and Emmanuel Macron in Paris for talks • FRANCE 24 English
FRANCE 24 English King Charles gives his Canadian attendant a sword as sovereignty threats intensify
Royal watchers say repeated symbolic nods to Canada are sign of solidarity in the face of Trump's threats
King Charles presented his Canadian personal attendant and messenger with a new ceremonial sword at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, a symbolic gesture that carries added meaning as the country stares down U.S. President Donald Trump and his increasingly forceful annexationist taunts.
It's the latest move by Charles, the country's head of state, to show solidarity with Canadians as Trump repeatedly calls for the Commonwealth realm to become the 51st U.S. state, royal watchers say.
In the last two weeks alone, Charles has met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a private audience, wore his Canadian medals during a high-profile military visit, planted a red maple leaf tree on the grounds of Buckingham Palace and now he's giving his personal Canadian liaison and senior protocol officer in Parliament a sword.
Charles, as the constitutional monarch, does not usually comment in public on political issues of the day, but he can send a message through what he does and who he meets with, like the Queen often did with her outfit choices.
In that vein, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, also wore a red dress with a similar colouring to the RCMP tunic, and a white pearl necklace as she sat in the front row at the Commonwealth Day Service on Monday.
Prince
William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, leave after attending the
annual Commonwealth Day Service of Celebration at Westminster Abbey, in
London on Monday. Royal watchers noted Catherine's decision to wear red
and white. (Yui Mok/Pool/PA)
Charles gave Greg Peters, the Usher of the Black Rod in Canada's Senate, the sword during an audience at his official royal residence in London on Wednesday. Peters was accompanied by Senate Speaker Raymonde Gagné for the diplomatic outreach.
In the royal tradition, a sword like this is seen as a symbol of sovereignty. The Senate originally commissioned the sword to the mark the change of reign from Elizabeth to Charles.
This ceremonial sword was bestowed to the Usher of the Black Rod of the Senate of Canada Gregory Peters by King Charles. (Aaron Chown/Pool/PA)
Buckingham Palace does not publicly comment on the King's private audiences.
But a palace source told CBC News that there was a particularly warm exchange between Peters, a staunch monarchist originally from Prince Edward Island, and the sovereign during the sword presentation and the audience that followed.
The King, Peters and Gagné had a 30-minute discussion about topics of great concern in Canada and internationally, the palace source said.
The King also reaffirmed his Flag Day message, the source said, a reference to Charles's February statement when he said Canada is "a proud, resilient and compassionate country" and the sight of the Canada's maple-leaf flag elicits "a sense of pride and admiration."
Royal
watchers say the sword, and other recent moves by the royal family, are
heavy in their symbolic meaning in support of Canada. (Aaron Chown/Pool/PA)
A spokesperson for Gagné said the Speaker was in transit and not available for an interview. Peters was also not available to speak.
Peters is perhaps best known to the public for carrying a black rod to pound on the doors of the House of Commons to summon MPs on behalf of the monarch to the Senate chamber for a speech from the throne at the opening of a new session of Parliament. It's a practice rooted in 600 years of Westminster parliamentary tradition.
In addition to his ceremonial role, Peters is also responsible for security in the Senate and administrative functions like organizing affairs of state and swearing-in ceremonies, among other duties.
Usher
of the Black Rod of the Senate of Canada Gregory Peters, King Charles
and Speaker of the Senate of Canada Raymonde Gagné stand after King
Charles bestowed a new ceremonial sword to Peters. (Aaron Chown/Pool/PA)
Nathan Tidridge is a high school teacher in Waterdown, Ont., an expert on Crown-Indigenous history and the vice-president of the Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada.
He said handing over a sword to someone like Peters at this juncture is "deeply meaningful symbolism.
"The sword is being presented at this time when the country is under attack — it's remarkable," Tidridge said in an interview with CBC News.
"What you're seeing is the Crown reinforcing Canadian sovereignty. I worry the King's government advisers just don't know what to do with him. He can do so much to highlight Canada, he just needs to be better utilized," he said.
Tidridge said it's easy to dismiss the sword ceremony as a meaningless symbol — but symbols and ceremony are "so tied to national identity" and Canada needs to cherish them now more than ever.
"We're in an existential crisis and Canadians are looking for things to really rally around right now — the Crown should be one of them," he said.
King
Charles waters a red maple in the grounds of Buckingham Palace in
London, to commemorate the achievements of The Queen's Commonwealth
Canopy on Tuesday. (Aaron Chown/Pool/PA)
Wednesday's sword exchange and audience is the second time in two weeks the King has received a Canadian delegation.
Charles met with Trudeau and Ralph Goodale, Canada's high commissioner to the U.K. at Sandringham House, northeast of London, after a summit on Ukraine's future.
Trudeau said the two discussed Canadian sovereignty and the country's "independent future."
Charles met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Sandringham House in Norfolk, U.K., earlier this month. (Aaron Chown/Pool/PA)
The day after that Trudeau meeting, Charles toured a Royal Navy ship wearing a naval uniform outfitted with his Canadian medals.
In a social media post, the Canadian high commission thanked the King for what it called a "meaningful gesture."
King Charles signals support for Canada during ‘uncertain times’And, earlier this week, Charles planted a red maple leaf tree on the grounds of Buckingham Palace.
The tree-planting was described as a tribute to his late mother and to commemorate the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy, a pan-Commonwealth network of forest conservation projects — but the symbolism was not lost on royal watchers.
Christopher McCreery is an expert on Canadian honours and the Crown. He said these gestures are like Elizabeth's "brooch warfare," where she'd choose a specific brooch to wear for a specific state visit.
The Queen, for example, wore a sapphire snowflake brooch gifted to her by Canada's Governor General after meeting Trump during a visit to the U.K. in July 2018. Canada and the U.S. were sparring at the time over his first-term steel and aluminum tariffs and the fraught NAFTA renegotiation talks.
For his visit to the naval vessel, Charles "could've worn a bunch of different uniforms" that don't include his Canadian regalia, McCreery said.
"The 51st state talk has already become very tiresome for, I think, every single Canadian. So I'm sure it's equally tiresome for the King as King of Canada."
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Canada races to revive Commonwealth ties with its U.S. relationship on shaky ground
Minister says Canada needs the U.K. 'more than ever' as it grapples with Trump
The Canada-U.S. relationship is at its lowest point in more than a century with President Donald Trump's near-daily threats to ruin the Canadian economy and undermine the country's sovereignty.
With the U.S. losing its long-held place as Canada's most trusted partner, the country's leaders are now clamouring to revive ties to like-minded countries, most notably historic allies like Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Proponents of a "CANZUK" alliance say Canada's political leaders should strike while the iron's hot and immediately bolster trade links, push to integrate the militaries to improve mutual defence and pursue mobility rights so citizens can move about in a bid to lessen dependence on an increasingly belligerent U.S.
Together, the four countries could be a formidable bloc with a combined GDP of roughly $6.5 trillion and the world's third-largest military force — a partnership that could help them ride out Trump's political convulsions, said James Skinner, the CEO of CANZUK International, a group that advocates for closer ties.
Skinner said Trump's tariff threats and 51st state taunts are a "shameful" development that has "undoubtedly damaged the relationship and led to a decline."
"But there's a silver lining to all of this. It gives Canada a golden opportunity to look elsewhere and explore other avenues with our closest allies abroad: Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. We fought in wars together, we share a common language, we have familial ties that go back decades and this just seems like the ideal pairing for Canada to explore," Skinner said in an interview with CBC News.
"We need to make sure we don't end up in this monopoly situation again where the United States holds all the cards and we've just got to go along with whatever President Trump says," he said.
Flags
of the Commonwealth countries fly near the Elizabeth Tower in London.
The Commonwealth and its member countries have been something of an
afterthought in Canada for decades. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/The Associated Press)
Former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole, a longtime supporter of a CANZUK alliance, is also lending his name to the latest push to integrate, calling for freer trade, better security ties and the free movement of people across the four countries.
"Why wouldn't you want this? These are our closest friends and allies," he said in an interview.
"With the U.S. pulling back, there should be a strong drive to get CANZUK done. The other good, democratic countries need to step up and fill the void."
The Commonwealth and its member countries have been something of an afterthought in Canada for decades. Canada pulled back from Britain in the post-Second World War period, especially after brokering a free trade agreement with the U.S. in the 1980s.
And there have been some recent signs of tension between the largely English-speaking countries, all of which share similar political and legal institutions and the same head of state: King Charles.
From
left: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Advocates for
a closer alliance between the three countries and the U.K. argue
history and shared language make co-operation a no-brainer. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
The U.K. broke off bilateral trade negotiations with Canada last year after a dispute largely over cheese — even as Australia and the U.K. pulled closer in the post-Brexit period.
While the U.K. was looking to tap its own Commonwealth connections after pulling out of the EU, Canada held firm on signing a trade deal it feared would hurt some farmers.
New Zealand is locked in a trade dispute with Canada over dairy products — and it's taking the country to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade tribunal over what one of that country's leaders called "a betrayal of friendship." Australia is also accusing Canada of dumping low-priced milk products on world markets.
Britain's
former prime minister Rishi Sunak, right, meets with former U.S.
president Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese,
left, as part of Aukus, a trilateral security pact between Australia,
the U.K. and the U.S. Canada is not part of the security pact. (Stefan Rousseau/AP Photo)
Canada was also left out of a crucial defence pact between Australia, the U.K. and the U.S.
And Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a regular feature at international summits, was absent from the most recent Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Samoa.
It's those tensions that give Andrew Percy pause.
Percy, a former British trade envoy and MP who recently moved to Vancouver to live and work after leaving politics, said it's a no-brainer for the four countries to pull together in the wake of Trump's decision to effectively torpedo the long-standing Western alliance.
"It just makes perfect sense but, as with everything, the devil is in the details," he said in an interview.
Canada says it's a free trader but it throws up non-tariff trade barriers, especially around agricultural products, and so do the other countries, Percy said.
"Canada is talking a good game about diversifying more but Canada has been dragging its heels," Percy said, pointing to Canada's reluctance to endorse the U.K.'s accession to the CPTPP, effectively stymieing free trade.
"We're all massive hypocrites. So, CANZUK, it's all very nice as a concept but how do all of us, with these competing interests and different political persuasions, sit down and come to an agreement? It is a big ask — there's a lot to achieve knowing we would all have to sacrifice," he said.
Trudeau has held two calls with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the last three weeks. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)
But Canada's leaders are showing signs they are willing to try.
In the last month alone, Canada's posture has changed as it tries to revive friendships now that its relationship with the U.S. has cratered.
International Trade Minister Mary Ng just led a large Team Canada trade mission to Australia. "Our partnership, built on shared Commonwealth heritage and democratic values, is thriving," she said after meetings in the country.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly was in the U.K. this week to bolster relations with her British counterpart and present a united front as Trump pulls back from protecting Ukraine.
"More than ever we need to be close to the U.K.," Joly told reporters Monday after her trip.
Trudeau has been on the phone with Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, twice in the last three weeks.
According to a readout from one of the calls disseminated by Trudeau's office, the two leaders "discussed the importance of working together to promote economic security and stability."
And the two "committed to renewing efforts to advance bilateral trade."
It's not just the people already in government who see an opportunity for Canada to take a step back from the U.S. and embrace the Commonwealth cousins.
King
Charles is pictured with Mark Carney when he was serving as governor of
the Bank of England in December 2016. Carney says he would pursue a
closer relationship with the U.K. if he becomes prime minister. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Photo)
A spokesperson for Mark Carney, who served as governor of the Bank of England after holding the same job here, told CBC News the Liberal leadership hopeful believes drawing closer to the U.K. and the other Commonwealth countries is imperative.
At a rally in southern Ontario last week, Carney said Canada was "friends with our neighbours. Now they're just our neighbours. We'll find new friends.… We're gonna diversify our trading partnerships into Europe, the U.K."
On the Liberal leadership debate stage Monday, Carney said Canada needs to get closer to countries like the U.K. that "share our values."
Another Liberal leadership contender, Frank Baylis, wants to go all-in on CANZUK. "I'm proposing a whole new economic bloc," he said.
Asked about support for a CANZUK alliance, a spokesperson for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told CBC News a government led by him will also prioritize "greater co-operation with like-minded allies" after the Liberals left Canada "poor, weak and defenceless and reliant on Americans."
"Common sense Conservatives support diversification," the spokesperson said.
Canada and the U.K. have had recent trade disputes, but advocates for a CANZUK alliance argue they can be overcome. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)
Liberal and Conservative party members are ahead of their leaders — delegates at the parties' most recent policy conventions endorsed some form of a CANZUK alliance well before Trump came back for a second round in the White House.
O'Toole, the former Conservative leader, said CANZUK was among the most popular policies he ever pitched during his decade in federal politics, especially among young people.
He said Canada should take the lead on the initiative and launch a secretariat to begin the work of bringing down barriers.
"There's a willingness — and there's popular support — in each of the four countries," he said. "There just needs to be a little leadership to get it done. The more we do together, the more positive it is for the world."
British prime minister downplays Trump's talk of '51st state'At a news conference alongside Trump in Washington on Thursday, Starmer said the leaders did not discuss the president's intentions of annexing Canada.
A journalist asked Starmer whether King Charles expressed concern over the president's recent statements about annexation.
But the prime minister dodged the question, accusing the journalist of "trying to find a divide between us that doesn't exist."
Starmer brought Trump an invitation from the King to visit Balmoral, a royal estate and castle in Scotland.
"We're the closest of nations, and we had very good discussions today. But we didn't discuss Canada," Starmer said as the president interrupted him, saying, "that's enough."
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With files from The Associated Press
Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives in Paris to meet with European allies amid U.S. trade war
This is Carney's first international trip since he was sworn in on Friday
Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Paris Monday to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron, seeking support from one of Canada's oldest allies as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to attack Canada's sovereignty and economy.
"It is more important than ever for Canada to strengthen its ties with its reliable allies, such as France," Carney said in French before meeting with Macron in Paris.
Describing Canada as the "most European of non-European countries," Carney told Macron he is "determined, like you, to maintain the most positive possible relations with the United States."
"We must strengthen our diplomatic ties to address a world that is increasingly unstable and dangerous," he added. "Canada is a reliable, trustworthy and strong partner of France, which shares our values and lives them through action, during this age of economic and geopolitical crisis."
This is Carney's first official foreign trip since he was sworn in on March 14. He will next land in London where he will sit down with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and King Charles. Carney will also stop in Iqaluit on his way home.
Canada must strengthen ties with reliable allies like France, Carney says Macron said the diplomatic relationship with Canada supports the values both countries hold dear, such as the defence of democracy and the "development for fair trade and protection of the planet."
Prime
Minister Mark Carney, left, is greeted by President of France Emmanuel
Macron as he arrives at the Palais de l'Elysee in Paris, France on
Monday, March 17, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)
"We believe that fair trade that respects international rules is a good thing for everyone's prosperity," Macron said. "It's far more effective than tariffs that simply create inflation and destroy the integration of our economies and our supply chains."
"We are receiving you and welcoming you as a friend with great joy and forming of a lot of ambition and many projects together," he added.
Why France?
Carney has deliberately chosen the two European capital cities that shaped Canada's early existence. During his swearing-in ceremony, he noted the country was built on the bedrock of three peoples — French, English and Indigenous — and said Canada is fundamentally different from America and will "never, ever, in any way, shape or form, be part of the United States."
Since Trump came to office, he has imposed whopping tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum and repeatedly commented on turning Canada into the 51st state, infuriating Canadians and sparking a call to boycott U.S. products across the country. He is threatening to impose tariffs on all Canadian products on April 2.
President
of France Emmanuel Macron, right, gives a thumbs up as he shakes hands
with Prime Minister Mark Carney after delivering a joint statement at
the Palais de l'Elysee in Paris, France on Monday, March 17, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)
On Monday, a senior Canadian government official briefed reporters on the plane before picking up Carney in Montreal, saying the purpose of the trip is to double down on partnerships with London and Paris. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, as he is not allowed to speak publicly, said Canada is a "good friend of the United States, but we all know what is going on."
Carney lights candles as he tours Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on Monday. (Sean Kilpatrick/Reuters)
Carney also visited the Notre-Dame Cathedral before meeting with Macron at the Palais de l'Élysée.
Before returning to Ottawa on Tuesday, Carney will travel to Iqaluit to "reaffirm Canada's Arctic security and sovereignty."
"The choice of this itinerary for Prime Minister Carney's first official trip emphasizes the strong connection of Canada with the Arctic as well as with the two former colonial powers Canada remains attached to, through the Commonwealth on the U.K. side and La Francophonie on the France side," said Daniel Beland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.
"The fact that Canada never broke away from the U.K. in a violent fashion is a key historical and institutional difference between the United States and Canada, a constitutional monarchy rather than a republic that has adopted and retained a U.K.-style parliamentary system."
The trip to London will be a bit of a homecoming, as Carney became the first non-British governor in the Bank of England's 319-year history when he took over the top job on July 1, 2013. He served until March 15, 2020.
No Washington trip planned
Carney, a former central banker who turned 60 on Sunday, has said he's ready to meet with Trump if he shows respect for Canadian sovereignty. He said he doesn't plan to visit Washington at the moment but hopes to have a phone call with the president soon. His government is also reviewing the purchase of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets in light of Trump's trade war.
Meanwhile, Macron has been ramping up efforts to persuade France's allies to move away from purchases of American military hardware, which dovetails with Canada's rethink on F-35s and also coincides with mounting questions and concerns in Europe that European defences are overly dependent on U.S. weaponry, technical support and goodwill.
Deputy
of the French National Assembly Roland Lescure welcomes Prime Minister
Mark Carney and his wife Diana Fox Carney as they arrive at the Paris
Charles de Gaulle airport in Roissy-en-France, France, Monday. (Carlos Osorio/Reuters)
Carney spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a call late Sunday and invited him to the G7 summit this summer, which Canada is hosting. Trump said he would speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday as he pushes to end the war in Ukraine.
Carney is expected to call an election by the end of the week, to take place in late April or early May. The Liberal Party had appeared poised for a historic election defeat this year until Trump declared economic war. Now, the party and its new leader could come out on top.
With files from CBC News
Joly says Canada-U.K. friendship is 'in our DNA' after British PM's White House comments
Starmer threw Canada under the bus, former Trudeau adviser says
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said she doesn't believe the relationship between Canada and the United Kingdom has changed after comments made by the British prime minister during a visit to the White House.
At a news conference in Vancouver on Friday, Joly said "no country on Earth will be able to divide Canada and the U.K."
"It is just in our DNA to be close to the U.K.," she said, noting that she is in contact with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and national security adviser Jonathan Powell.
"At the same time, we need to work together on addressing the unpredictability that is coming out of the White House."
As U.S. President Donald Trump continues to undermine Canadian sovereignty, Canada has been trying to strengthen its relationship with historic allies, such as the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
Since the start of his second term, Trump has repeatedly made threats about Canada becoming the "51st state" and referred to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a "governor."
Joly's comments come a day after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted that the United States and the United Kingdom are on good terms.
At a news conference during Starmer's White House visit on Thursday, a journalist asked the prime minister whether King Charles expressed concern over Trump's recent statements about annexing Canada.
But the prime minister dodged the question, accusing the journalist of "trying to find a divide between us that doesn't exist."
Starmer brought Trump an invitation from the King to visit Balmoral, a royal estate and castle in Scotland.
"We're the closest of nations, and we had very good discussions today. But we didn't discuss Canada," Starmer said as the president interrupted him, saying, "that's enough."
‘ No country will be ever able to divide’ Canada and U.K., Joly saysRoland Paris, a former foreign policy adviser to Trudeau, called Starmer's response to the question about Canada unfortunate.
"Mr. Starmer could have easily said something like that Canada is a sovereign nation," Paris said. "Instead, he just took the opportunity to say that there was no difference between his position and Donald Trump's position."
Starmer seemingly did not want to "ruin the mood" after what he described as a positive discussion with the president, Paris said, but the result was that the British prime minister "threw Canada under the bus."
"Trump has created an environment in which there's so much uncertainty that countries are scrambling to secure their own interests," Paris said. "They're not really paying a lot of attention to the interests of other countries."
In an event with the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade earlier on Friday, Joly noted that she had warned her European counterparts about potential threats from Trump and told them Canada was the "canary in a coal mine."
After Trump threatened tariffs on the European Union, Joly said she "wrote to all of them, and I said, 'I told you.'"
With files from Briar Stewart
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