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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney toughened his stance against the United States on Tuesday, calling the attacks from high-ranking U.S. officials against Canada inappropriate and warning that Ottawa will not resume serious trade negotiations as long as Washington maintains an attitude of provocation.
"It is beneath the dignity of their offices," Carney replied when asked about the insults from members of the U.S. cabinet against the Canadian Armed Forces.
The Prime Minister also criticized other recent actions by Washington, including the mockery of Canadian cadets and the renaming of Lake Ontario by President Donald Trump's administration.
"When the Americans stop making memes, stop taking digs, stop trying to look tough, and start taking these conversations seriously, we can have them. It's not constructive. But that's their democracy," he stated.
Carney insisted that Canada is willing to reach a "mutually beneficial" trade agreement with the United States, but stressed that any pact must respect Canadian sovereignty and the country's right to protect Québécois culture and the French language.
The Liberal leader insisted that, during the negotiations, Washington proposed conditions that could limit Canada's ability to sign trade agreements with third countries.
"Canada is a sovereign state. We will sign free trade agreements with the countries we want to sign them with," he declared.
Carney also denounced that the U.S. proposals intended to turn Canadian strategic industrial sectors into "subsidiaries" of their U.S. counterparts or impose conditions that would lead to their progressive disappearance.
"We are not going to accept those conditions," he asserted.
The Prime Minister made these statements following the Liberal victory in the three by-elections held on Monday, a result he interpreted as "a vote of confidence" in his government's strategy to strengthen the Canadian economy and reduce its dependence on the United States.
Asked if the election result was due to Trump, Carney replied: "No, it is due to our plan."
[Publicidad]