Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney dismissed accusations that his country planned to interfere in next month’s U.S. midterm elections, saying he was disappointed by the American ambassador’s comments.
“There is no merit to these claims,” Carney told reporters Friday during an official visit to Turkey, according to Reuters.
The dispute escalated this week after the U.S. Embassy in Canada published a fact sheet saying Ottawa “brushes off concerns about potential interference in U.S. elections, even as its ministers and premiers openly describe plans to influence American politics.” The document cited Industry Minister Melanie Joly’s meetings with U.S. governors and prospective presidential candidates, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s calls for retaliatory tariffs aimed at politically sensitive states.
A week earlier, U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra told a podcast that his message to Canadians was to “keep your nose out of American politics.” Carney said he was disappointed the envoy saw it as his role to make such suggestions, and said Canada had no intention of interfering in the November 3 elections.
The row has underlined how strained the bilateral relationship has become. Carney said Canada was in no rush to sign a trade deal and could wait months, or even until another U.S. administration, to reach an acceptable agreement. “Canada will never be the 51st state,” he added. “We are going our own way.”
Source: Reuters
