President Trump, in a long, meandering speech at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland on Wednesday, took a direct swipe at Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada, who had delivered a stark address the previous day before describing the end of the U.S.-led world order that grabbed headlines and elicited a standing ovation.
“Canada gets a lot of freebies from us. By the way, they should be grateful also, but they’re not,” Mr. Trump said. “I watched your prime minister yesterday. He wasn’t so grateful — they should be grateful to us, Canada. Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”
Mr. Carney did not immediately respond to the comment and was traveling back to Canada from Switzerland Wednesday.
Mr. Trump’s comment was, partly, an echo of what Mr. Carney had said on Tuesday: that the world order, and Canada’s own success, had been underwritten and dependent on the United States, and that era so defined was coming to an end, replaced by a current phase he called “a rupture.’’
Mr. Carney also issued a rallying cry to other middle powers to band together with Canada to survive in a dawning era dominated by aggressive competition among larger powers for increasing control.
“Every day we’re reminded that we live in an era of great-power rivalry,” Mr. Carney said in his speech, without mentioning Mr. Trump or the United States by name. “That the rules-based order is fading. That the strong can do what they can, and the weak must suffer what they must.”
And he warned, “The middle powers must act together because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.”
The urgent need to lessen Canada’s dependence on the United States by cultivating new trading partners and allies overseas was Mr. Carney’s campaign mantra last year. His election followed Mr. Trump’s repeated threats to annex Canada and make it the 51st state, as well as the imposition of tariffs on goods from Canada that are damaging key sectors there, including the auto, steel and lumber industries.
Mr. Carney has been on a frenzied global search for fresh investments and trade deals. A New York Times analysis shows that he has spent nearly 60 days traveling overseas to bolster Canada’s partnership since he came to office in March 2025; by contrast, the leaders of France and Britain have traveled for about 40 days each in the same period.
Mr. Carney and Mr. Trump have enjoyed a relatively cordial relationship. When Mr. Carney has visited Washington, he has been warmly received by Mr. Trump, and praised for his electoral success. But the rapport has not translated into an improvement of the two countries’ trade relationship, and talks are all but frozen.
A review of the tripartite free-trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico, known as U.S.M.C.A., is due in the course of the year, and its fate hangs in the balance.
Matina Stevis-Gridneff is the Canada bureau chief for The Times, leading coverage of the country.
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