Carney Says Canada Studied Risk of U.S. Military Action

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he had studied the possibility of US-led military action against Canada, describing it as an “extreme tail risk” that would nevertheless be irresponsible to ignore, the Canadian Press reported.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has discussed Canada's relationship with the United States amid continuing trade and diplomatic tensions. [Photo: Mark Carney Facebook]

In a recent interview with The New York Times, Carney declined to provide details about what preparations had been considered.

“I think you have a responsibility in these roles to look at extreme tail risk,” Carney told the Times. “That’s just risk management. That’s not a base case, but it would be irresponsible not to [prepare].”

The remarks came amid continuing tensions between Ottawa and Washington. Trump has repeatedly spoken about making Canada the 51st US state.

Carney said his government had examined the possibility of US military action as a contingency, rather than describing it as an expected scenario.

Carney also discussed efforts to reduce Canada's dependence on US technology and defense equipment, including plans to diversify away from Elon Musk's Starlink satellite service and consideration of alternatives to the planned purchase of F-35 fighter jets.

Canada's plan to procure F-35 aircraft remains under review by Carney's government.