Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney says that the country's ties to the United States have become a weakness that must be corrected, as Canada looks to distance itself from what used to be its strongest ally.
In a 10-minute video address posted to YouTube on April 19, Carney described a world that's become more dangerous and divided than ever, particularly as the U.S. has "fundamentally changed its approach to trade" through sweeping tariffs, all while President Donald Trump has frequently demeaned Canada as the "51st state."
"The U.S. has changed, and we must respond," Carney said. "We have to take care of ourselves because we can’t rely on one foreign partner. We can’t control the disruption coming from our neighbors. We can’t control our future on the hope it will suddenly stop."
Carney went on to outline a plan dubbed "Canada Strong," where the country would reduce trade barriers between provinces, make it easier for consumers to buy Canadian products, rebuild the Canadian Armed Forces, improve access to healthcare, and cut income taxes for the middle class, among several other initiatives, spanning national security to infrastructure.
This comes months after Carney delivered a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he called on the world's "middle power" nations to chart an economic path away from the U.S. Days later, President Trump accused Carney of being ungrateful to the U.S., and went on to assert that "Canada lives because of the United States." Trump also threatened to block the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge between the U.S. and Canada, over claims that Canada had failed to treat the U.S. respectfully.
