When asked on the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands whether US President Donald Trump still wanted to annex Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney replied, "No, he doesn't talk about it anymore,".

"He admires Canada," Carney said. "Maybe he longed to have Canada for a time,".

Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ontario, Canada, 19/6. Photo: AFP

This isn't the first time an official has declared the annexation issue over. On 22/5, US Ambassador to Canada Peter Hoekstra revealed that "Trump no longer discusses making Canada the 51st state,". This was despite the US president posting on social media a few days later that Canada should become the 51st state to benefit from the missile defense system he planned to deploy.

Prime Minister Carney has repeatedly stated that the long-standing and close partnership between Canada and the US has "ended". He began his new term by engaging more closely with European partners like the UK and France, even collaborating with Australia to develop a new radar system for the Canadian Arctic.

However, Carney acknowledged that Trump had pushed Canada to increase defense spending, notably helping it reach NATO's defense spending targets.

"President Trump is focused on changing a number of bilateral relationships," Carney said. "We're all in NATO. He wants to ensure all members, including Canada, contribute fairly. I think we are doing this,".

Carney believes Trump has the "ability to make key decisions" in the Middle East. The ultimate goal is peace for the region, but the immediate priority is achieving "basic issues": a ceasefire, full restoration of humanitarian aid, and the release of all hostages in Gaza.

"He has used his personal influence and the power of America in many situations. We have just seen this in Iran. His decision really helped the situation improve and, in fact, those are the right things to do," Carney added.

The Canadian leader praised Iran's "balanced" response after the US bombed three nuclear facilities, having forewarned of an attack on a US military base in the region.

"This military strike was essentially a skillful diplomatic move by Iran. Canada always opposes all forms of conflict, but we must acknowledge Iran's measured response, purposefully de-escalating tensions, and importantly, they gave advance warning," he expressed.

Hong Hanh (According to CNN)