President Donald Trump has rescinded his invitation for Canada to join his international Board of Peace. It comes after the country’s prime minister pushed back against comments Trump made during a speech at the World Economic Forum.
He said, he said
On Wednesday, Trump called Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney “ungrateful” for his response to Trump’s push for the U.S. to acquire Greenland and put the “Golden Dome” defense system there.
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“We’re building a golden dome that’s going to, just by its very nature, be defending Canada. Canada gets a lot of freebies from us, by the way,” Trump said. “They should be grateful also, but they’re not. I watched your prime minister yesterday. He wasn’t so grateful.”
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The United States invaded Canada during the War of 1812 against Britain.
He added, “Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that Mark, the next time you make your statements.”
Carney did remember that, and in a speech on Thursday after his return from Davos he touched on Canada’s relationship with the U.S., saying, “Canada and the United States have built a remarkable partnership in the economy, in security, and in rich cultural exchange.”
The he fired back, “But Canada doesn’t live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadian.”
Board of Peace invitation revoked
Trump signed the charter for his Board of Peace on Thursday without any major Western allies present. Key allies like France, the United Kingdom and Norway declined to join, while others, including Canada, had not yet made a decision.
Now, Canada doesn’t have the choice. Trump revoked his invitation in a post on his Truth Social platform Thursday not long after Carney’s speech, saying, “Dear Prime Minister Carney: Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining, what will be, the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time.”
Last week, Carney said he planned for Canada to join the board but wanted more details on the terms first.
A broader issue
In the past, Trump has talked about making Canada the 51st state, and it doesn’t seem to be a goal he’s giving up. This week, he shared an image of an altered map of the U.S. on social media that includes Canada, Greenland, Venezuela and Cuba as part of its territory.
U.S. officials are reportedly in talks with Ottawa to coordinate northern border defense and limit Russia and China’s ability to expand their presence in the Arctic. It’s the same national security argument Trump has used to justify his push to acquire Greenland.
Meanwhile, Canada is preparing for the possibility of a military invasion by the United States, according to The Globe and Mail. The outlet reports that while it seems unlikely, military planners in Ottawa have developed a concept for how they would respond if U.S. forces crossed the border.
