After Trump's threats: Canada joins forces with France

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung After Trump's threats: Canada joins forces with France Michaela Wiegel • 1 hour • 2 minutes read Signal to Washington: Mark Carney and Emmanuel Macron want to deepen cooperation between Canada and France. The new Canadian Prime Minister's first foreign trip did not take him to Washington as usual, but to Paris on Monday. At the Élysée Palace, Mark Carney called Canada the "most European of all non-European countries" and emphasized that France is one of his country's "most reliable allies." Free trade is significantly more effective in increasing prosperity than tariff barriers and punitive tariffs. It is important to stand up for one's values, he said. During the joint press statement with host Emmanuel Macron, Carney spoke in French. This, too, was clearly intended as a signal to the American president, who wants to integrate Canada into the United States as the 51st state and referred to Carney's predecessor as "Governor." Canada will "never, in any way, shape, or form, be part of the United States," Carney said in his inaugural address last Friday. Carney spoke only a few sentences in English in Paris about the current "economic and geopolitical crisis," but without mentioning its originator, Donald Trump, by name. Macron recalled the sacrifices of Canadian soldiers in World War II. They participated in the Allied landings on June 6, 1944, and liberated Europe. "This generation continues to inspire us," Macron said. Canada and France have been committed to a "solid and lasting peace" since the beginning of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Carney emphasized that his country would continue to support Ukraine. He had previously spoken with the Ukrainian president by phone. "Neither the law of the jungle nor isolationism" are values ​​with which France can sympathize, Macron agreed. France hopes for defense contracts The luncheon was also expected to focus on increased economic cooperation between France and Canada. For example, Macron mentioned the expansion of a high-speed rail line between Quebec and Toronto along a route modeled on the French TGV (high-speed train). The connection is intended to reduce travel time from five to three hours. Macron also addressed cooperation in critical raw materials and artificial intelligence, as well as collaboration in the nuclear field. The French defense industry is hoping for contracts from NATO ally Canada. The new nuclear-powered submarine Le Tourville stopped in the port of Halifax for a few days after completing its first Atlantic crossing. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot hailed the submarine as a "witness to industrial excellence" during a brief visit to Halifax. The manufacturer, Naval Group, is one of three companies bidding for a multi-billion-dollar contract from the Canadian government. Canada needs to replace its four aging Victoria-class submarines, which the country acquired secondhand from the Royal Navy in the 1990s. German shipbuilding group Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems was previously considered a possible supplier in expert circles. Canada plans to purchase twelve submarines capable of operating under ice. Recently resigned Prime Minister Justin Trudeau advocated for nuclear-powered submarines to "protect the world's longest coastline." In France, Canada is also closely following plans to explore possible alternatives to the American F-35 fighter jets. Before his lunch with Macron, Carney visited the restored Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral. He then planned to travel on to London.