Media: Trump complains about Canada's vulnerability to China and Russia in the Arctic
Kyiv • UNN
Donald Trump is concerned about Canada's inability to protect its borders from Russia and China in the Arctic. The US seeks to strengthen cooperation with Canada to reinforce its northern border.
US President Donald Trump is secretly intensifying his focus on another target in the Western Hemisphere, increasingly complaining to aides in recent weeks about Canada's vulnerability to US adversaries in the Arctic. This is reported by NBC News, citing two US officials, a senior administration official, and three former senior US officials familiar with the discussions, UNN reports.
Details
While Trump's advisors are working to achieve his goal of acquiring Greenland, the US president is secretly growing increasingly concerned that he sees Canada's similar inability to defend its borders from any encroachment by Russia or China, specifically arguing that Canada needs to spend more on defense, officials said. They said his efforts have accelerated internal discussions about a broader Arctic strategy and a potential deal with Canada this year to strengthen its northern border.
"Trump is really concerned about the US continuing to drift in the Western Hemisphere and is focused on that," one official said.
Current US officials said there are no deployments of US troops in northern Canada. And unlike Greenland, Trump is not seeking to buy Canada and is not claiming he can seize it with US military force, a senior administration official and current and former US officials said.
The president's increased private attention to Canada, whose relationship with the US has been deeply strained, comes as he turns some of his long-standing criticisms of America's neighbors in the Western Hemisphere into actions aimed at expanding US influence in the region.
This year, he began by using the US military to remove Venezuela's leader and facilitate a US takeover of the country's oil industry. His administration similarly threatened the regime in Cuba. He warned Colombia and Mexico of possible US intervention to stop the flow of drugs from their countries. And he has repeatedly stated that his administration plans to acquire Greenland — by purchase or military force — which has sparked a scramble among US allies to strike a deal that would alleviate his concerns.
Protecting Canada's northern border is a key part of Trump's and his top aides' vision for "strengthening" the Western Hemisphere, as one US official put it, so it aligns with the US vision. On Saturday, Trump suggested that a US acquisition of Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, would also benefit Canada.
"Ultimately, it's about preventing further Russian and Chinese presence in the Arctic," a senior administration official said. "Canada will benefit from the US having Greenland."
Canada's public position is that Greenland's fate is up to Greenland and Denmark. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Friday that Canada supports Denmark as a NATO ally.
Asked about the president's recent renewed focus on Canada behind closed doors, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said an executive order signed by Trump last April "underscores the United States' commitment to ensuring both freedom of navigation and American dominance in Arctic waterways."
The Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., did not respond to a request for comment, the publication adds.
Trump's criticism of Canada dates back to his first term. Last year, it reached a climax when he threatened to use "economic force" to seize the country and turn it from America's northern neighbor into the 51st state. Trump launched a trade war with Canada and openly feuded with its government. More recently, these public tensions have escalated.
Privately, amid Trump's growing complaints, US officials are negotiating with Canadian officials on ways to increase cooperation between their militaries in the Arctic, a senior administration official and current and former US officials said. Among the options being discussed are upgrading systems in Canada that provide early warning of an adversary approaching the country's territory or waters, increasing joint US and Canadian military exercises and operations, and increasing joint air and water patrols, as well as patrols by US ships in the Arctic, current US officials said.
Current officials said there are no discussions about deploying US troops on the ground along Canada's northern border.
Let's add
One of the forums for US-Canada negotiations is a Pentagon working group focused on the Arctic, which has warned the White House that Canada's influence on China and Russia along its northern border is one of the biggest challenges facing the US in the region, current and former US officials said.
Canadian Prime Minister Carney was in Beijing last week, where he mentioned a "new world order" in an attempt to strengthen ties with China amid tensions between Canada and the US. Carney, the first Canadian prime minister to visit China since 2017, met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.
On Friday, Trump was asked about Carney's trade deal with China and said it was "good."
"That's exactly what he should be doing," Trump said. "If you can make a deal with China, you should do it."
One of Trump's main criticisms of Canada has been the amount the country spends on defense, which he has reiterated privately in recent days, according to a senior administration official and current and former US officials. They said that from Trump's perspective, this means Canada cannot defend itself against China or Russia in the Arctic.
"They certainly need to step up their game when it comes to Arctic capabilities," one official said, adding that "it's unacceptable given today's threats" and "the status quo is not enough."
Canada is increasing its defense spending but still falls short of the target for NATO members.
"The world doesn't view Canada as a major force when it comes to defense," a senior administration official said.
According to a senior administration official and US officials, Trump has not been as public about Canada as he has been privately in recent weeks, and that is not expected to change as long as he considers negotiations between the two countries to resolve the issue productive.