will remain a strong and committed NATO ally." "I expect that regardless of who wins the presidential election, the U.S. "Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the U.S., and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk," Stoltenberg said. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg holds a press conference with the Swedish prime minister at Rosenbad in Stockholm on October 24, 2023. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has hit back against the notion that member countries would not defend one another. Still, the implications of Trump's threat sent shockwaves through the alliance over the weekend. "What we should be preparing for is not so much X coming to power or Y coming to power, but continuing political instability in the U.S., and what that means for Canada for Canadian prosperity and security," said Devlen. politicsĬanada, he said, should not be responding to the individual policies or preferences of any candidate south of the border - but the federal government should be thinking deeply and broadly about the relationship with the United States and what is unfolding there. afford to meddle in and get into the weeds with the partisan politics in the United States." Preparing for sustained instability in U.S. "This is the most important relationship Canada has, and we cannot. "I would've actually expected a bit more of a partisan take on it, which I'm glad they didn't," said Devlen, a fellow at the Ottawa-based MacDonald-Laurier Institute. Given domestic politics in Canada and the attempt by the governing Liberals to paint Conservatives - particularly Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre - as MAGA-lite, foreign policy expert Balkan Devlen said he was happy to see the government take the political high road. We have been able to manage two types of administrations in the White House."įoreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says Canada will be 'ready' for whatever the American electorate does in the presidential election. When pressed about Trump, she said, "The American people will decide, and meanwhile, we'll be ready for their choice. Joly focused on NATO solidarity, claiming the military alliance is "more united than ever" following the inclusion of Finland and the eventual arrival of Sweden. He cited the billions of dollars the Liberal government has committed recently to buying new fighter jets, drones and surveillance aircraft. protection.īlair said his responsibility is to the defence of Canada. He said he would not offer such a country U.S. Trump, who is running for re-election in November, said during a weekend campaign event that he would encourage Russia to do "whatever the hell they want" to any NATO member country that doesn't meet spending guidelines. candidates highlight 'potential for violence,' domestic terrorism expert says Donald Trump turns to Supreme Court in bid for presidential immunity.EU officials criticize Trump for condoning Russian attacks on NATO allies that don't pay enough. "I don't think we need to overreact, but I think we need to make sure that we are prepared and that we continue to keep our alliances strong." "I'm not going to get drawn into political rhetoric in another country," Blair told reporters Monday when asked about the former president's campaign speech last weekend. One expert was pleasantly surprised with the understated nature of the responses from Defence Minister Bill Blair and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly - but others warned there can be no room for complacency and said important security arrangements beyond NATO could be thrown into chaos if Trump returns to the Oval Office. There was a "keep calm and carry on" vibe outside the House of Commons on Monday as a political storm blew up over Donald Trump's threat to encourage Russia "to do whatever the hell they want" to NATO members he thinks aren't paying their fair share of the cost of collective defence.ĭespite harsh condemnation of the Republican presidential frontrunner's remarks from allies in Europe, and strong words from the NATO secretary general, two federal cabinet ministers in Ottawa took a more measured, restrained approach to what they'd heard.
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