Trudeau meets King Charles, discusses 'Canada’s future' amid Donald Trump's annexation threat
Trudeau took to X on Tuesday and shared a photo of him with the British monarch, saying they discussed ‘Canada’s sovereign and independent future’.
Outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with King Charles amid Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs and annexation of Canada.
Donald Trump has repeatedly called for Canada to become ‘the 51st US state', a proposition that the US’ northern neighbour has vehemently rejected. King Charles, who also acts as Canada's head of state, is yet to react on the matter.
Trudeau took to X on Tuesday and shared a photo of him with the British monarch.
"I met with His Majesty King Charles III this morning. We spoke about matters of importance to Canadians — including, above all, Canada’s sovereign and independent future," he wrote.
The duo met at the royal residence of King Charles, Sandringham. The specific details regarding the private talks are not yet but the Associated Press reported that there were discussions surrounding Trump’s annexation threat.
Apart from the threat of annexation, the Donald Trump administration has also announced a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods, citing drugs coming into the US. Mexico will also be affected by Trump's tariff plans, poised to take effect on Tuesday.
Donald Trump's annexation threat to Canada
In December last year, Donald Trump proposed that Canada become the 51st state of the United States. He even claimed he would drop taxes for Canadians and suggested NHL legend Wayne Gretzky should lead the country.
“I just left Wayne Gretzky, ‘The Great One’ as he is known in Ice Hockey circles, a message. I said, ‘Wayne, why don’t you run for Prime Minister of Canada, soon to be known as the Governor of Canada – You would win easily, you wouldn’t even have to campaign,’” Trump posted on Truth Social at the time.
Since being sworn in as US President on January 20, Donald Trump has reiterated the call a few times, with his close ally and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk also backing the call. The proposal has received backlash across party lines from Canada.
