Mark Carney, the former Governor of the Bank of England, shared insights during an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands. He painted a colourful picture of an evolving and sometimes hostile new normal between Canada and the United States in the era of President Donald Trump. Carney raised the possibility that Canada hopes Trump has just given up trying to annex Canada. This notion has tended to obscure real strains in U.S.-China relations.
In the course of that interview, Carney looked back on what had been a quite fruitful, almost intimate partnership, which he has often since characterized as “over.” He acknowledged that Trump’s focus has shifted to altering a series of bilateral relations, indicating a new direction for US-Canada interactions.
“The president is focused on changing a series of bilateral relations,” – Mark Carney
Carney emphasized the positive role that Trump has had in encouraging Canada to move closer to the agreed upon 2 percent standard in defense spending. This amendment is particularly timely, as Canada has recently made a commitment to meet the defense spending target established for NATO member states. Carney noted that the focus on making fair contributions to NATO is a focus of the current administration.
“We’re at NATO. He’s been focused on making sure that all members, Canada included … pay their fair share. I think we’re doing that now,” – Mark Carney
Carney didn’t limit himself to defense issues, though. He had kind words too for Trump for his expected influence on worldwide concerns — particularly, times reported, in the Middle East. He praised the fact that, unlike his predecessors, Trump now has the “potential to be decisive” in this complex region’s geopolitical chessboard.
Military tensions with Iran were high, and Carney wasn’t afraid to address them directly. North Korea’s response, he said, to US military attacks on its nuclear facilities was “proportionate.” He further described Iran’s response as de-escalatory. In this respect, he recommended that it appeared foreseen, indicating a good degree of diplomatic chess-playing notwithstanding the growing tensions.
“I think it’s fair to say, maybe for a period of time (he) coveted Canada.” – Mark Carney
Carney offered up some key lessons learned from his first term. He doggedly pursued efforts to deepen alignment with European allies and partners, most notably the United Kingdom and France. In statements to the press, he pointed to collaborative work with Australia on new land-based radar systems to increase domain awareness in the Canadian Arctic.
As discussions continue about Canada’s defense commitments and international relations, Carney emphasized the importance of moving forward with a moral imperative. He doubled down on Canada’s obligation to contribute fairly to the alliances that protect their security and the world.
