Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has slammed Britain’s invitation to US President Donald Trump’s second state visit, saying it undermines his government’s efforts to present a united front against the US president’s claims to annex Canada.
Carney was asked in an interview with Sky News about how British Prime Minister Keir Starmer used his visit to the Oval Office in February to extend Trump an invitation from the monarch for an unprecedented second state visit to London.
“Frankly, I think they (Canadians) were not impressed by the gesture… given the circumstances. This was at a time when we were quite clear about the issues around sovereignty,” he said.
Carney said Carl’s presence in Canada later this month was deliberate.
“The president has been emphatic about all the issues around Canada’s sovereignty. So no, it’s not a coincidence, but it’s also an important moment for Canadians,” he said.
Starmer, who is trying to improve trade ties with the US after Britain left the European Union, has sought to play to his strengths in dealing with Trump, touting his security expertise, promising to boost defence spending and offering the pomp and pageantry that comes with a state visit.
Trump, whose mother was born in the UK and who has repeatedly praised the British royal family, agreed a limited bilateral trade deal with London this month.
Since taking office in January, Trump has repeatedly said he wants Canada to become the 51st US state, a proposal that has angered Canadians and left the UK trying to walk a fine line between the two North American countries.
Britain’s King Charles is also the head of state of Canada, a former British colony, and the monarch has made a series of symbolic gestures in recent months, wearing Canadian medals, planting a maple tree and calling himself King of Canada.
Charles, who is still undergoing treatment for cancer, is also due to attend the opening of Canada’s parliament on May 27, the first visit by a British monarch to Ottawa since 1977.