Trudeau says Trump’s threat to annex Canada “is a real thing”

Canada’s outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a group of business leaders that he believes President Donald Trump can seriously annex his country.

Trudeau suggested that Trump had swam the idea of ​​taking over Canada and making it “51th country” because he wants to gain access to the country’s critical minerals.

“G -N Trump means that the easiest way to do it is to swallow our country and it’s a real thing,” the prime minister said.

His comments were made behind closed doors at an economic summit in Canada and the United States in Toronto, but were partly captured by a microphone and reported by several Canadian media.

More than 100 business leaders and public policy experts were present at the summit and hosted Canada’s newly created Advisory Council on Canada and the United States.

Traudo’s comments come after Trump threatens Canada with a 25% tariff for all his exports to the United States, with the exception of energy exports, which will be taxed at a lower rate of 10%.

The tariffs were to be imposed this week, but Trump provided Canada – as well as Mexico, which was threatened with such tariffs – at the last minute of 30 days in exchange for more effort to strengthen their shared limits.

Trump has repeatedly offered, both in publications on his social media platform, Truth Social, and in comments to reporters that Canada can become an American state instead of avoiding tariffs. He also cited the country’s premiere as “Governor Trudeau”.

“What I would like to see -Canada to become our 51st country,” Trump said earlier this week in the oval office when he was asked what discounts Canada could offer.

Trump first mentioned the idea of ​​swallowing Canada for a Trudeau dinner in December, shortly after threatening the tariffs for the first time. At that time, Canadian officials rejected him as a joke.

But Trudeau’s comments on Friday suggest a change in how Canada can perceive Trump’s remarks.

A survey of IPSOS in January shows that the bigger part of the Canadians (80%) opposes their country, becoming part of the United States and will never vote “yes” in any referendum on the subject.

A similar move will require the approval of the two chambers of the US Congress and will need an over -master of 60 votes to pass through the Senate.

In Canada, Trump’s threats have caused concern throughout the country. About three quarters of Canadian exports are sold to the United States, and steep rates for these goods can deeply harm the Canada economy and risk thousands of losses in jobs.

Some provincial politicians are launching “buy local” campaigns to encourage Canadians to spend their money at home instead of the United States. Some Canadians have canceled trips south of the border in protest.

But officials also tried to press closer ties with the United States after tariffs, stating that Canada was open to creating a Union of Canada-platform for energy and critical minerals.

Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, who was in Washington this week to meet his American counterparts, said the closer cooperation would be “profitable” for both countries.

At the Friday Summit, Trudeau said Canada faced the possibility of “more challenging, long-term political situation with the United States” and must find ways to strengthen its own economy and commercial connections in the coming years.