Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has stated that Ottawa is prepared to wait for the election of a new U.S. president if it fails to reach a mutually beneficial trade agreement with the Donald Trump administration. He also expressed dissatisfaction with Washington's actions and deemed the U.S.'s inconsistent policy regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine as useless.
"We will have to wait, if necessary," Carney said in an interview with Politico in Montreal.
In his view, not only Canadian but also American families and businesses will suffer from the absence of an agreement. The Prime Minister emphasized that he does not intend to conclude a deal at any cost.
Negotiations between Washington and Ottawa have been slow since Canada withdrew from the negotiation process in August. In the fall, both sides imposed new tariffs. The trade conflict has taken on additional political significance ahead of the U.S. Congressional midterm elections scheduled for Tuesday. Key states for the elections include Michigan and Maine, whose economies are closely connected to trade with Canada.
Carney also declared that Canadians are tired of diplomatic provocations from the U.S. Tensions escalated recently after the U.S. embassy in Ottawa circulated a document among journalists accusing Canadian officials of possible interference in the U.S. elections. Carney did not specify whether he had discussed this issue with Trump, noting that their communications mainly focus on trade and international conflicts.
Regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine, the Canadian Prime Minister expressed concern about the U.S.'s inconsistent approach to sanctions against Moscow and supplying defensive aid to Kyiv.
"That does not help," he said.
Carney made these statements in Montreal at the conclusion of the Canada-European Union summit. He advocates strengthening ties with European countries, including in trade, research, and technology sectors, to reduce dependence on the U.S. and China. At the same time, the proposal to grant Canada a special associated participant status with the EU did not receive the necessary support among European leaders.
The Prime Minister also supported international guarantees for security in the field of artificial intelligence, emphasizing that technology companies need clear rules. According to him, effective self-regulation in this sector is extremely difficult.
