How Carney Made Trump Look IRRELEVANT At The G7 in France

For years, every major international gathering followed the same pattern for Canada.Canadian leaders would arrive, the media would ask one question, what does the U .S.think?What does the Americans want?And most importantly, what does the American president have to say?

But something very different is happening at this G7 summit in France.Because while reporters continue asking about Donald Trump, Mark Carney appears increasingly uninterested in making Trump the center of Canada's foreign policy.In fact, when asked about a potential meeting with the American president, Carney's answer revealed something much bigger.Canada is no longer organizing its entire strategy around Donald Trump, and that may be one of the biggest changes in Canadian foreign policy in decades.

Earlier today, the Prime Minister visited his family's ancestral village on the Emerald Isle.Carney's grandparents lived there before immigrating to Canada in the early 1920s.All right, with more on the Prime Minister's trip and the G7, I'm joined by international affairs expert at Carleton University, Fen Hampson.Hi there, Fen.Great to see you.

Good to see you, Marcia.

In his speech in Ireland, Carney said the G7 no longer runs the world or pretends to.What does his message say to you about his view of Canada's role on the global stage?

Well, I think the message in the speech he gave in Ireland is an important one.It's that Canada is picking its team, and it's Team Europe, Marcia, not Team USA.I think the speech will go down in the history books as being quite significant in terms of Canada's new alignment.We're throwing our lot in with Europe, with a coalition of like -minded middle powers,rather than the U .S.,S.

, which he called out at Davos.He didn't mention the United States by name, but when he talked about the rupture of the international order in that famous speech he gave in January at the World Economic Forum.You know, he said the international order in terms of rules, trade, institutions is broken.

For months, political commentators have obsessed over one question.When will Carney meet Trump?When will the next big showdown happen?When will the next dramatic negotiation take place?But Carney's answer before the summit was surprisingly simple.Trade discussions are already happening.

The responsible ministers are talking.The negotiators are working.The process is moving forward.In other words, Canada is treating this as a serious negotiation, not a reality television show.That might sound obvious, but it represents a major shift, because for years, every interaction with Trump risked becoming a headline.Carney appears determined not to let that happen.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Mark Carney essentially said that's not what he was planning to do if he was going to get any time with the U .S.President.He said he's going to leave it to his Minister of Trade with Canada and the United States, Dominic LeBlanc, who is going to be in Avion France, as well as Janice Charette, who is the lead negotiator for Canada -U .S.negotiations.

And they're expected to meet with Jameson Greer, the United States trade representative.

One of the most revealing comments in this entire development came from Tom Mulcair.He argued that Canadians need to stop making Trump the center of every conversation.And interestingly, that appears to be exactly what Carney is doing.Instead of spending the summit chasing meetings with Trump,Carney is focused on the broader agenda, strengthening relationships with France, working closely with Britain, deepening Canada's ties with Europe, and discussing what the future global order might look like.That is a very different approach from the Canada many people grew up with.

Because traditionally, Canada's international strategy began and ended with Washington.Today, Carney appears to be building something much broader.

I think that Carney has always been so careful to remind people that he doesn't spend his whole day thinking about what he gets from or talks to Donald Trump.We are led to believe, and I think it's true, that the two of them exchange texts otherwise and probably talk on the phone fairly often.Trump is Trump.He's a showman, and he doesn't want to have anybody upstaging him.But I think that whether or not Carney meets with Trump is not that important, frankly.Right now, we're looking at...

We have to reconnect with the Americans over the Canada -US -Mexico trade deal.That's something that's important to us, and it's also important to the Americans.We've got to stop listening to Trump when he says really need it.He needs it.He needs that deal.He needs some version of it.

So we should start from there and know that the current deal is going to continue for 10 years.And things will be a lot quieter once Trump is gone.And Trump will be gone long before that deal is ever expired.So I think that we've just got to take it one step at a time, breathe through the nose, so to speak, and take a deep breath and not let Trump become the center of attention to everything that we do in Canada.We've got a lot of things to accomplish here as well.

Perhaps the most important observation came from international affairs of expert Fenn Hampson.His assessment was blunt.Canada is choosing Team Europe, not Team USA.That doesn't mean Canada is abandoning the United States.Far from it.The economic relationship remains essential.

The trade relationship remains essential.The security relationship remains essential.But what it does mean is that Canada is no longer willing to place all of its bets on one country.That is exactly the message Carney delivered in Ireland.And it is exactly the message he is bringing into the G7.

So, final thought then from you, what does Mark Carney want to achieve today?

I think that Carney wants to continue explaining things.I mean, he's done a very good job.He's got very close allies.He seems to get along particularly well with Keir Starmer, the British PM, and with Emmanuel Macron, which is an interesting advantage that he has.Of course, Canada is able to play that role.And Canada is often seen as being the Trump whisperer, the place that is so close to the U .

S., we get stuff that the other ones might miss.And Canada has been going through so much with the madness of King Trump, that maybe we do have a few lessons that we can share with those close allies of ours.They're going to be allies long after Trump is gone.And we have to keep building that relationship.That's something that we care about, is working on the relationship itself.

And I think that Trump has done everything he can to blow things up.Carney's doing everything he can to put things back together.

What makes Carney's strategy possible is that Europe appears increasingly open to it.Over the past few months, Carney has built strong relationships with leaders like Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer.And those relationships are now translating into deeper conversations about trade, security, technology, and economic cooperation.The timing matters.While Donald Trump continues to create uncertainty around alliances and trade,many countries are looking for reliable partners they can work with over the long term.

And increasingly, Canada is presenting itself as exactly that, a stable ally, a predictable partner, and a country that still believes international cooperation works.That's why Carney's recent visits across Europe have drawn so much attention.They're not simply diplomatic appearances.They're part of a larger effort to position Canada closer to a group of countries that share similar interests and similar concerns about where the world is heading.And judging by the reception Carney has received, Europe appears more than willing to open the door.The reason this matters is simple.

Trump thrives on attention.He thrives on being the center of every negotiation.the center of every discussion, the center of every headline.But Carney's approach removes that advantage.Instead of turning every issue into a personal confrontation with Trump, Canada is quietly building relationships, strengthening alliances, and continuing negotiations through established channels.That is much harder to disrupt, and it leaves Trump with fewer opportunities to dominate the conversation.

The biggest story coming out of this G7 summit may not be what happens between Mark Carney and Donald Trump.It may be what doesn't happen.For the first time in a very long time, Canada appears comfortable pursuing its own agenda without making the American president the center of every decision.Carney's message is becoming increasingly clear.Canada's future cannot depend entirely on Washington.It must also be built through stronger relationships with Europe, trusted allies, and countries that share Canada's long -term interests.

Whether that strategy succeeds remains to be seen.But one thing is already obvious.The Canada arriving at this G7 summit looks very different from the Canada that used to spend every international gathering looking south for direction.And if the last few months are any indication, that shift is only just beginning.Let me know what you think in the comments below.Do you agree with Carney's approach of strengthening Canada's ties with Europe and other allies?

Or should Canada remain primarily focused on its relationship with the United States?And if you enjoy these daily deep dives into the stories shaping Canada's future, make sure to subscribe to Canada Today.Canada is redefining its place in the world, and we're here every day bringing you the stories, analysis, and developments that matter most.Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in the next one.