By Karmrath News Desk
Davos: President Donald Trump has publicly admonished Canada for what he described as a lack of gratitude toward the United States, escalating rhetorical tensions between Washington and Ottawa during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Speaking on Wednesday, Trump claimed that Canada benefits disproportionately from its relationship with the US and suggested that Canadian leaders fail to adequately acknowledge this dependence.
“Canada gets a lot of freebies from us. They should be grateful also, but they’re not,” Trump said, adding that his proposed “Golden Dome” missile defence system, pitched as a sweeping shield against aerial threats, would extend protection to Canada as well. The remarks were delivered on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where global leaders have been debating the future of trade, security, and multilateral cooperation.
Trump’s comments were framed as a direct response to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whom he accused of being “not so grateful” following Carney’s address earlier this week. While Carney did not name the United States or Trump in his speech, his remarks were widely interpreted as a critique of unilateralism and coercive economic policies increasingly used by major powers.
In his Davos address on Tuesday, Carney warned that the global system is entering “an era of great power rivalry” in which long-standing norms are eroding. He argued that the rules-based international order, built on multilateral institutions, predictable trade rules, and respect for sovereignty, is “fading,” and cautioned middle powers against being forced to choose sides amid intensifying competition between the US, China, and Russia.
Carney also underscored Canada’s opposition to the use of tariffs and economic pressure as tools of territorial or geopolitical leverage. In a pointed reference to recent controversies, he said Canada rejected the use of tariffs in disputes involving Greenland, where Trump has previously floated the idea of US acquisition, alarming allies in Europe and within NATO. Carney framed such threats as destabilising and inconsistent with international norms, calling instead for cooperation among middle powers to preserve global stability.
Trump, however, responded with unusually blunt language, asserting that Canada’s very survival is tied to the United States.
“Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements,” Trump said, reinforcing his long-standing view that allies benefit from American military and economic power without offering sufficient reciprocity.
The exchange highlights a widening gap in tone and priorities between the two neighbours. While Trump has repeatedly emphasised transactional alliances and national advantage, Carney has positioned Canada as a defender of multilateralism and collective action. In his speech, Carney argued that countries like Canada must work together to uphold shared rules precisely because they lack the coercive power of great powers.
Analysts note that although Trump’s comments were characteristically confrontational, they resonate with his broader foreign policy narrative ahead of a potentially volatile period in global politics. For Canada, the episode underscores the challenge of balancing economic and security dependence on the United States with a desire to assert strategic autonomy and principled diplomacy.
As Davos discussions continue, the public sparring between Trump and Carney serves as a vivid illustration of the strains facing traditional alliances in an increasingly fragmented world order, one where even close partners are not immune from sharp words on the global stage.