Carney’s remarks follow statements by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting that the United States could take over Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark. Trump has previously referred to Canada as “America’s 51st state,” and Canadian media have reported U.S. support for separatists in Alberta.
“Canada will support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Denmark,” Carney said, adding that the events in Venezuela — where U.S. forces seized President Nicolás Maduro last Saturday — were a warning to Canada.
In an editorial, The Toronto Star called the Venezuelan operation “a warning for Canada,” while The Globe and Mail said Washington’s new security strategy, announced in November 2025, “dramatically” reduces the sovereignty of U.S. allies.
Former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Jean Charest warned on social media that Trump’s approach is driven by force alone. “Canadians should be concerned that military power alone is enough for Trump to impose his will on other nations,” he wrote.
Bob Rae, former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations, said the U.S. position presents “a real challenge” and marks Canada’s most difficult situation since World War II.
Reports of U.S. support for Alberta separatists have added to federal concerns in Ottawa. According to Canadian media, members of the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) claimed U.S. backing for their independence efforts. “The U.S. administration is very excited about Alberta’s independence,” APP member Jeff Rath said after the province approved a petition process for a potential referendum.
In January 2025, as tensions escalated, then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on X: “There isn’t even the slightest chance Canada would ever become part of the United States.”
Carney, who assumed leadership of the Liberal Party in March last year, reiterated that message: “Americans may want Canada’s natural resources, water, and land — but they will never get them.”
Canada’s Arctic ties also remain a pillar of its foreign policy. Foreign Minister Anita Anand said she would soon attend the opening of a new Canadian consulate in Nuuk, Greenland.
Canada shares a tiny land border with Greenland on the uninhabited Hans Island. That boundary was only finalized in 2022 after a decades-long symbolic dispute known as the “Whisky War,” during which both countries’ representatives left bottles of their national liquors on the contested territory.
(jh)
Source: PAP