The next stop on Donald Trump’s world tour — or takeover — could be America’s northern neighbor.
The president, 79, has turned his attention to Canada, focusing on what he sees as vulnerabilities along its northern border that could be exploited by U.S. adversaries Russia or China, two U.S. officials, a senior administration official, and three former senior U.S. officials told NBC News.
“They definitely have to step up their game when it comes to Arctic capabilities,” one official told the outlet, adding that Canada’s northern border is “not acceptable given today’s threats” and “the status quo is not good enough.”
Trump Prime Minister Mark Carney A
Trump has repeatedly complained about what he sees as Canada’s weak defenses, opening talks with Canadian officials about a broader Arctic security strategy, NBC reported. Among the initiatives that have drawn Trump’s attention are expanded U.S. maritime patrols and more icebreakers — specialized vessels designed to operate in ice-covered waters — operating in or around Canadian territory.
“Trump is really concerned and focused on America’s drift in the Western Hemisphere,” one official told NBC.
They added: “At the end of the day, this is to prevent Russia and China from having a further presence in the Arctic.”
With 3.85 million square miles and 40 million residents, Canada is the biggest target on Trump’s growing list of potential land grabs.
The conversation came as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney signaled efforts to deepen ties between the two countries after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday. Carney became the first Canadian leader to visit China since 2017.
Trump has repeatedly complained about what he sees as Canada’s weak defense. / Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images
Trump’s fixation on Canada, aides say, is part of a broader effort to “solidify” the Western Hemisphere — and coincides with his aggressive drive to acquire Denmark’s semiautonomous region of Greenland.
“Canada benefits from the US having Greenland,” said one administration official.
Carney on Friday voiced support for Denmark’s NATO membership and said Greenland – home to about 57,000 residents and located northeast of Canada – should determine its own future.
Trump’s repeated assertions that “we need Greenland, absolutely” for defense purposes have alarmed Denmark, whose leaders have repeatedly warned that they will not give up the world’s largest island and that a US takeover would end NATO.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller insisted on Saturday that under “the law” nations are not entitled to their territory if they are unable to defend it. A Trump aide blasted the Danish government and said its “tiny” military had failed to adequately protect Greenland.
“In terms of Denmark, Denmark is a small country with a small economy and a small military,” Miller said of Fox. Hannity.
“They cannot defend Greenland. They cannot control the territory of Greenland. Under every understanding of the law about territorial control that has existed for 500 years, to control a territory you must be able to defend the territory, improve the territory, settle the territory. Denmark has failed each of these tests.”
Meanwhile, officials told NBC that the White House has made similar criticisms of Canada, which has increased its defense spending but continues to meet NATO targets.
“The world doesn’t see Canada as a great power when it comes to defense,” the official told NBC.
Trump has previously said it is “highly unlikely” he will use military force against Canada. But after his invasion of Venezuela and the Jan. 3 kidnapping of then-President Nicolas Maduro, the president has not ruled out deploying U.S. troops to countries including Colombia, U.S. ally Mexico and Greenland.
The Daily Beast has reached out to representatives of the White House and Carney for comment.
