Just like Denmark and Greenland, Canada has been threatened regarding its territorial integrity by Donald Trump. They have also had their deep economic and military dependence on the United States used against them as a weapon.
In response, Canada has taken the lead with a new self-assured course through the new perilous world order: building new alliances, increasing trade with countries other than the U.S., military buildup, and security cooperation with Europe.
Canadians call it ‘principled pragmatism.’ And everyone is welcome to join, according to Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand, who is visiting Denmark and Greenland this week. In Nuuk, she will open a Canadian consulate on Friday—a tangible symbol of the extended arms.
»In this moment in time when the Canadian population is under stress economically and has concerns, we realize that we are not the only ones who feel this type of emotion. And we also have a Prime Minister who has been elected and formed a government because Canadians largely felt that he was the best person to lead us through these difficult times. We want to be at least one of the countries that is able to lead through these times. And our history and commitment to multilateralism, including in a changed form, stands us in good stead to do that,« says Anita Anand, emphasizing that the starting point is national.
»We are here to serve the Canadians who need us to find the path forward. It happens to be that we are also the type of community builders that the world needs now.«
The prime minister is Mark Carney. He’s infused ’principled pragmatism’ with grit and the nerve to stand up to Donald Trump, making him an inspiring beacon for many bruised Europeans.
In a forceful speech in Davos earlier this month, Carney urged the international community to stop thinking it can keep itself safe by simply doing what increasingly authoritarian and predatory great powers demand.
»The middle powers must act together because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu,« said Mark Carney.
Who is threatening?
No one could doubt that it also concerned Donald Trump, but Anita Anand keeps a safe distance from direct Trump criticism.
Donald Trump has left a military threat against Greenland hanging in the air for a year until he temporarily took it off the table in Davos. This happened after several NATO countries had sent military personnel to Greenland.
Is the presence of NATO or NATO country forces in Greenland also there to deter Donald Trump from taking Greenland with force?
»I don’t see that response from NATO, and that is not what Canada has been conceiving as the need for a greater NATO presence in the Arctic,« she says.
But one of the threats to sovereignty and integrity in Greenland is coming from the United States, is it not?
»There has been in recent weeks a lowering of the temperature, and that is extremely important to recognize in order for us to have the conversation about NATO’s focus northward,« she says.
Since 2024, Canada has planned to expand its Arctic footprint, she explains. With consulates in Nuuk and Alaska. Increasing cooperation on education, relations between indigenous peoples in different countries, and protecting the Arctic from threats. Canada supports a permanent NATO mission called Arctic Sentry.
Which threats are you talking about here?
»As I indicated, since the further illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia, we have seen a greater Russian activity in the Arctic,« she says.
In recent months, Canada has worked purposefully to boost its economy and reduce its enormous dependence on the U.S. This happened after Trump increased tariffs on Canadian goods to up to 35 percent. Since March, it has been 25 percent, which Canada then reciprocated with 25 percent on American goods.
In the past six months, Canada has entered into 12 new trade agreements on four continents, she explains. Recently, Mark Carney entered into a »strategic partnership« with China.
Canada’s goal is to double trade with countries other than the U.S. over the next decade.
»Even if we do that, the United States will still be our largest trading partner,« she adds.
Is Canada standing firm?
After the stormy reception of Mark Carney’s speech in Davos, Trump called him »ungrateful,« and the White House claimed—without any basis—that the Canadian had »aggressively« backed down in a phone call with Trump.
Since then, Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on Canadian goods to 100 percent if Canada proceeds with trade agreements with China. Mark Carney has said that Canada does not plan an actual free trade agreement.
Many people around the world are likely looking to Canada and asking worriedly:
Are you standing firm under pressure?
Anita Anand points out that Mark Carney has clearly stated that he stands by every word in the speech.
»So for a foreign minister, what this means is putting the words of the speech into palpable policy,« she says, placing it on three pillars:
One, economic resilience with less U.S. dependence. Two, new and old security alliances, and three, belief in international law, international human rights, reconciliation with indigenous peoples, environmental sustainability, and gender equality:
»These are values that underpin our very psyche.«
No criticism of the EU
The EU bowed to American pressure this summer and entered into a trade agreement that allows the U.S. to impose 15 percent tariffs on European goods without the EU retaliating.
Did Europe make a mistake believing they could, by complying and agreeing to a disproportionate trade deal with the US, buy our safety?
»I don’t think that it has been a mistake for multilateral institutions to flourish, as they have since the end of the Second World War,« she says, adding:
»And to bring it back to the Davos speech, it wasn’t that Prime Minister Carney was saying, we’re going to retreat from multilateralism. What he said is there will be new alliances for middle powers. And Canada will lead in that moment to bring countries together on issues of import,« she says.
She points to examples like the coalition of willing countries helping Ukraine and trying to make up for the halt in U.S. support; the cooperation among Arctic nations; and a partnership between India, Australia, and Canada on information and technology sharing.
»We will see more of that and that is realistic,« she says.
In both Europe and Canada, politicians have even flirted with the idea that Canada might one day become a member of the EU.
This posture with seeking multiple alliances in different areas, does that mean you will not be looking to join the European Union? Because that is, you know, a one-size-fits-all in many ways?
»This is not on my foreign policy radar right now,« says Anita Anand with a smile, before quickly adding:
»Are we going to continue to develop links with the EU? Of course.«
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