Mark Carney says he has analyzed the risk of U.S. military action against Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he had considered the “extreme risk” of potential U.S. military action against Canada in an interview published Wednesday evening by The New York Times. The assessment was made against the backdrop of repeated statements by President Donald Trump, who has expressed his desire for Canada to become the 51st U.S. state.

Carney said that a leader has a responsibility to consider even extreme scenarios. He added, however, that military intervention is not the baseline scenario and declined to provide details about the assessment’s conclusions.

The statements come amid an unprecedented deterioration in relations between Ottawa and Washington. The two countries have imposed reciprocal trade measures, while Canada halted negotiations with the White House on August 21, accusing the U.S. administration of trying to impose an unfair deal on it.

Meanwhile, the Canadian government is seeking to reorient its economy and foreign policy toward Europe. Ottawa is considering closer ties with the European single market in areas such as energy, artificial intelligence, critical minerals and defense. Ursula von der Leyen has proposed that Canada become the European Union’s first associate member.