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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Sunday that he will speak with King Charles III about protecting Canada’s independence.
This comes after U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly suggested that Canada, which is an independent republic within the British Commonwealth with King Charles III as head of state, should become the 51st state of the United States.
It is difficult to know if Trump is serious about this, as annexing Canada would likely give a large number of congressional seats to Canada that might not support Trump’s Republican Party.
Trump’s remarks have caused fury in Canada, with officials firmly rejecting any idea of joining the U.S.
Trudeau plans to meet with King Charles on today. He said he wants to discuss important issues for Canada and its people.
“I can tell you that nothing is more important to Canadians right now than standing up for our sovereignty and independence,” Trudeau said while in London for a summit on Ukraine.
Since winning another term in November, Trump has focused on Canadian sovereignty. He often calls Canada the “51st state” and refers to Trudeau as a “governor” instead of prime minister, which is considered to be very insulting.
Trump has also imposed tariffs on Canada, set to begin on Tuesday. He suggested that Canada could avoid these tariffs if it became part of the U.S. Previously Trump had said that the tariffs were because of fentanyl smuggling from Canada and a leaky border that allows illegal immigrants into the US, but it is doubtful if these reasons are authentic or the sole reasons for terminating the existing free trade agreement with Canada.
Last month, Trudeau warned that Trump’s talk about taking over Canada to access its natural resources is “a real thing.”
Some Canadians have questioned why King Charles has not already spoken up in defense of Canada. However, the king usually follows the advice of the Canadian prime minister when dealing with such matters.
Last week, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer invited Trump for a second state visit to the U.K. This could give the king a chance to put Trump on the red carpet to discuss Canada’s sovereignty.
As the king is usually regarded as politically neutral, this would be an incredibly unusual step.
On Sunday, at the Ukraine security summit in London, Trudeau also reaffirmed Canada’s strong support for Ukraine and announced new sanctions against Russia.
Source: Agence France Presse.
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