Prime Minister declares ‘Canada is an independent, sovereign nation’ in direct challenge to Trump’s 51st state claims
Starmer praises Canada as ‘much-valued member of the Commonwealth’ in stout defence of ally’s sovereignty
PM opens door to new trade deal with Canada worth billions as he prepares for G7 summit showdown
Canadian PM Mark Carney has already told Trump ‘Canada won’t be for sale, ever’ during tense White House meeting
Sir Keir Starmer has directly challenged Donald Trump by declaring that “Canada is an independent, sovereign country and a much-valued member of the Commonwealth” in a blunt rebuke to the President’s controversial annexation threats.
The Prime Minister gave his stout defence of Canada as the country has been rocked by Trump’s repeated claims that he wants to annex it as the 51st state of America – threats that have outraged Canadians and created a diplomatic crisis.
Starmer made his defiant remarks en route to a meeting with Canadian counterpart Mark Carney ahead of what promises to be an explosive G7 summit in Alberta later this week, where Trump’s sovereignty threats are expected to dominate discussions.
STARMER’S BLUNT MESSAGE
Asked about Trump’s threats to Canada’s independence, Starmer didn’t mince his words: “Canada and the US are our allies. Canada is an independent, sovereign nation, and quite right, too.”
He added emphatically: “And that’s the basis on which I’ve approached my discussions with all of our partners. I’m not going to get into the precise conversations I’ve had, but let me be absolutely clear: Canada is an independent, sovereign country and a much-valued member of the Commonwealth.”
The Prime Minister’s intervention represents his most direct challenge yet to Trump on the international stage, coming at a time when many world leaders have been treading carefully around the mercurial US President.
COMMONWEALTH SOLIDARITY
Starmer’s emphasis on Canada’s Commonwealth membership is particularly significant, coming after King Charles made a rare royal intervention last month, delivering an address to the Canadian parliament emphasizing the country’s “self-determination” in what was widely seen as a symbolic rebuke to Trump.
The Prime Minister highlighted the deep ties between Britain and Canada: “We work closely with Canada on any number of issues, whether that is defense and security – particularly the training in Ukraine, it’s been something where Canada and the UK have worked very closely together.
CARNEY’S DEFIANCE
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has already made his position crystal clear during a tense White House meeting with Trump last month, telling the President: “It’s not for sale. It won’t be for sale, ever.”
When Trump responded with his trademark “Never say never,” Carney later told reporters at the Canadian embassy that he had explicitly asked Trump to stop calling Canada the “51st state.
I said it’s not useful to repeat this idea,” Carney said, adding: “He understands that we’re having a negotiation between sovereign nations and that we will only pursue and accept a deal that’s in the best interest of Canada.
G7 SUMMIT SHOWDOWN
The G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 15-17, promises to be a dramatic affair, with Canada holding the rotating presidency and Carney determined to use the platform to assert his country’s sovereignty.
Olivia O’Sullivan, head of the UK in the World programme at Chatham House, warned: “The obvious concern for the G7 is whether a grouping in which one member country is questioning the sovereignty of another can be an effective forum for global cooperation.
The summit will be the first for several leaders including Starmer, Carney, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz – and Trump’s first G7 since 2019.
TRADE DEAL ON THE CARDS
Despite the tensions, Starmer opened the door to strengthening economic ties with Canada, revealing plans for a potential new trade agreement.
“We’ve got a massive trading agreement… £.”
The timing is significant, with Starmer having already secured a trade deal with the US in May, while Canada faces punishing tariffs from Trump including a doubling of steel import duties to 50%.
CARNEY’S CRITICISM OF UK
Relations between the UK and Canada have not been without tension. Carney publicly criticized Britain’s invitation to Trump for a second state visit, saying it “undermined” Canada’s efforts to project unity against Trump’s annexation talk.
“I think, to be frank, they (Canadians) weren’t impressed by that gesture… given the circumstance,” Carney told Sky News. “It was at a time when we were being quite clear about the issues around sovereignty.”
TRUMP’S RELENTLESS CAMPAIGN
Trump has relentlessly pushed his “51st state” narrative, even offering Canada a choice: pay $61 billion to be covered by his proposed Gold Dome missile defence system, or pay nothing if “they become our cherished 51st State.
The President has also repeatedly misrepresented trade figures, claiming massive deficits with Canada that are “tens of billions of dollars less” than he suggests, according to analysts.
ECHOES OF 2018
The upcoming summit carries echoes of the disastrous 2018 G7 in Quebec, which was thrown into chaos when Trump called then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “dishonest” and “weak” before pulling out of the joint statement.
We weren’t too happy because we thought we managed to pull off a pretty good summit,” recalled Peter Boehm, Canada’s deputy minister for that summit, highlighting the potential for another diplomatic disaster.
‘QUIET CANADIAN’ STRATEGY
Carney has adopted what observers call the “Quiet Canadian” approach, focusing on setting the scene for serious trade discussions while “batting away any distraction grenades that Trump lobs into the room.
At their White House meeting, Carney described discussions as “wide-ranging” and “very constructive” – diplomatic speak that revealed little about the true nature of the exchanges.
UKRAINE AND TRADE WARS
The summit agenda will be dominated by concerns over global trade, US-Europe defence cooperation, and the fate of stalled peace negotiations in Ukraine and Gaza.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend and is expected to meet with Trump, adding another layer of complexity to an already tense gathering.
As one diplomatic source put it: “Anything could happen. The Canadians would be crazy not to anticipate something” going wrong.
With Starmer and Carney now representing the only centre-left leaders in the G7, their alliance could prove crucial in standing up to Trump’s increasingly erratic behaviour on the world stage.
