US President Donald Trump repeated his desire frequently to the voice to acquire Canada and Greenland Thursday – this time with the chief of NATO Sitting next to him.
“I think it will happen,” said Trump when he was asked by a journalist about the United States who took control of Greenland at an oval office meeting with NATO secretary general, Mark Rutte.
“I am sitting with a man who could be very instrumental-you know Mark, we need it for international security,” he continued, turning to Rutte.
The secretary general said that he did not “want to drag NATO into” a conversation on the United States which acquires Greenland, but recognized the importance of the security of the Arctic and the North countries working together “under American leaders” to fight against China and Russia.
Asked about the prices in Canada, Trump spoke of his grievances with Canadian trade and returned to his call to make Canada the 51st American state.
“It would be the most incredible country visually,” he said. “If you look at a card, they have drawn an artificial line through it, between Canada and the United States, just a right artificial line. Someone did it a long time ago, many decades ago, and that makes no sense. »»
Rutte said nothing about the possibility that the United States threaten the border of a founding member of NATO. Greenland is part of Denmark, another NATO ally, but is an autonomous territory with its own government.
Trump spoke for a few moments after his candidate for the ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, told senators at its confirmation hearing that “Canada is a sovereign state” And stressed the importance of the historical bilateral relationship.
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Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford and federal officials were in Washington on Thursday to meet US Secretary on Commerce Howard Lutnick Discuss a way to follow for trade and prices.
The Canada-US relationship should also be discussed at a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Quebec on the same day.
Canadian officials, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, have repeatedly stressed that Canada will never be part of the United States
Trump threats also sparked a wave of patriotism among Canadians, with polls showing Almost 70% think less of Americans following increasing rates.
Trump told journalists that he will not change his mind and will give up his prices, including the “reciprocal” tasks that should start on April 2, despite the visit of Canadian officials on Thursday.
Other allied world leaders have refused to express concerns about Trump’s threats against Canada’s sovereignty when they appear next to him.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused a journalist of “trying to find a gap between us who does not exist” Asked about the problem at a press conference with Trump in the White House last month.
Questioned directly to the British Parliament on Wednesday if he would go to Canada “as soon as possible” to show his support in the midst of Trump’s attacks and prices, Starmer said that the United Kingdom was standing with its ally.
“Canada is also a very important ally and ally, and I spoke to our allies several times on the situation in Canada,” he replied.
In Greenland, who held the legislative elections on Tuesday, the new Prime Minister, probably Jens-Frederik Nielsen, rejected Trump’s proposed takeover, an opinion shared by most voters.
“We don’t want to be Americans,” Nielsen told Britain’s Sky News on Wednesday.
Rutte was in Washington to meet Trump as The American president tests the strength of the military alliance, Push the members to spend more in defense and to threaten not to come to the aid of those who do not comply with their expense commitments.
Canada has failed NATO’s objective for years to spend at least 2% of GDP in defense. The federal government says it has a “clear and credible plan” to reach this threshold by 2032 or earlier, but has not published details on how.
Trump said he wanted the NATO defense expenditure objective to increase five percent of GDP, a member level – especially the United States – is currently meeting.
Rutte said he made Trump calls to increase expenses. He said Thursday that alliance members were to produce more weapons and were lagging behind Russia and China.
– With a file from the Associated Press
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