Montreal, Sept 24 (V7N) – Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has considered the possibility that President Donald Trump might use the US military to further his goal of making Canada part of the United States, according to an interview with The New York Times.
Carney told the Times that the scenario could not be ignored. He did not go into detail about the military threat, the newspaper said, but used financial markets terminology to characterize the risks.
"I think you have a responsibility in these roles to look at extreme tail risk," Carney, a former central banker for Britain and Canada, said in the interview published late Wednesday. "That's just risk management. That's not a base case, but it would be irresponsible not to" prepare, said Carney.
Canada is one of the United States' closest trade and military partners, but the relationship between the giant neighbours has been rocked by Trump's trade war and his insistence that he wants to make Canada a US state. Negotiations to ease the trade war broke down on August 21.
Carney has repeatedly told Trump that Canada will never become part of the United States. Polls show many Canadians no longer believe that the United States is a friendly neighbour.
Trump has repeatedly suggested that Canada should become the 51st US state, a proposal that has been firmly rejected by Canadian leaders across the political spectrum. The trade war between the two countries, which began in 2025, has imposed significant costs on both economies. The breakdown of negotiations in August 2026 has further strained relations. Carney's remarks reflect growing concerns in Canada about the unpredictability of US policy under the Trump administration and the need to prepare for worst-case scenarios. The Canadian government has been strengthening its military and economic resilience in response to the evolving situation.
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