Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused President Donald Trump of attempting to “collapse the Canadian economy” in response to the United States’ decision to impose tariffs on Canada, according to The New York Times.
At a press conference in Ottawa, Trudeau rejected Trump’s explanation for the tariffs, which he attributed to concerns about fentanyl, labeling it as “completely bogus, completely unjustified, completely false.” Trudeau argued that the real goal behind Trump’s actions is to undermine Canada’s sovereignty, potentially paving the way for annexation.
In two phone conversations with Trudeau on February 3, Trump raised doubts about the legitimacy of the U.S.-Canada border and suggested revisiting shared water agreements. Four unnamed sources familiar with the talks said that Trump expressed concerns over various Canadian policies, such as dairy farming regulations, the banking system, and consumption taxes.
Trump also cast doubt on the validity of the 1908 treaty that established the U.S.-Canada border and proposed renegotiating the terms of that agreement. His remarks, along with his previous statements about using “economic force” against Canada, made Canadian officials take his words seriously.
These phone calls between the two leaders led to a temporary one-month delay in the implementation of the tariffs. However, the U.S. imposed the tariffs without delay on Tuesday, prompting Canada to respond with retaliatory tariffs on American goods. Two days later, Trump granted Canada a one-month suspension on most tariffs.
Concerns about Trump’s intentions have been mounting for several months. The Toronto Star reported that Trump brought up the 1908 border treaty during the February calls, while the Financial Times revealed that White House officials had discussed the possibility of removing Canada from the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, which also includes the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
After the February 3 calls, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who had not yet been confirmed by the Senate, told Canadian Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc that Trump believes many U.S.-Canada agreements could be easily discarded, and he is keen on pursuing such changes.
Lutnick shared Trump’s thoughts, which included withdrawing from the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group, unraveling agreements related to the Great Lakes water supply, and reconsidering military cooperation under the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). These topics came up again in later discussions among senior officials, intensifying Canadian worries.
Despite reassurances from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has avoided issuing threats and played down potential changes in military cooperation, Canadian officials remain uneasy. There is a growing sense in Canada that Trump’s actions signify a deliberate shift in the U.S.-Canada relationship, leading to increasing concerns across the political spectrum.

{Matzav.com}

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