Previously, Trump expressed the idea of making Canada the 51st state of the United States, and called the country's previous prime minister, Justin Trudeau, a governor following the example of states in the United States.
The US State Department's declaration of the Western Hemisphere as “its own” makes Trump's preliminary comments about the annexation of Canada even less similar to the usual grievances aimed at Trudeau, or negotiating tactics in his trade war with the current head of government Mark Carney, the agency emphasized.
As Bloomberg pointed out, the US administration's policies are causing concern among leaders around the world, but Canada has particular reason to worry.
Thus, in the case of Greenland, the United States demonstrates its readiness to even use military force for the sake of control over the territory, which is part of NATO, is democratic and strategically located in the Arctic.
All these characteristics apply to Canada, Bloomberg noted.
Former Canadian government security adviser Wesley Wark called Trump's moves on Venezuela and Greenland “the ultimate wake-up call for Canada” that “underscore the reality that the United States is no longer the country it once was.”
It is less clear what exactly Canada can do to deter Trump from taking further steps, the agency emphasized.
However, most analysts doubt that the US military will invade Canada.
Bloomberg noted that the Canadian army consists of less than 100 thousand people who must defend the second largest country on Earth after the Russian Federation.
