Carney in Washington: “We don’t want to live again for a moment Zelensky”

The risks are known. Mark Carney is settling in the yellow chair of the oval office, a few centimeters from Donald Trump. The cameras around the world are robbed on the two men, supposed to exchange a few polite words. But before reporters were driven out of the legendary room, the American president goes there with some shattering statements that go around the planet and place the Canadian Prime Minister in embarrassment.

This is what we want to avoid. We don’t want to relive a moment Zelenskysays a liberal source.

During his visit to Washington in February, the Ukrainian president was entitled to an unprecedented series of reprimands by Donald Trump and his vice-president JD Vance, who accused him of lacking respect for the United States. Result: a precipitated departure of the White House.

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Mark Carney said he expected a conversation constructive but difficult Tuesday with Trump and no doubt that the Prime Minister’s team, who spent the last days preparing the meeting, discussed possible response if the president brandished the question of 51^e State – as he did again on Sunday to the NBC network.

The Prime Minister must be ready for a declaration that is made before the media and he must be ready to reactexplains the former ambassador of Canada at theHimLouise Blais. According to her, if Mr. Carney must unequivocally defend Canadian sovereignty, he will at the same time have to be careful not to be too hard towards the American president.

You have to go with great finesse, a lot of fingering. It is probably the most important meeting of Mark Carney’s career so far. If it had to slip, it would be really disastrous.

The ex-ambassador to theHim believes that the exchange in person between the two men is an opportunity to change the tone, to develop a working relationship, perhaps even a little chemistry so that they can then be able to negotiate.

In this, estimates Ms. Blais, the Canadians could be shocked by the attitude of Mr. Carney in the oval office – they who were very injured by the president’s statements So far.

I think that Canadians will have to give [à M. Carney] This permission to establish this relationship [avec M. Trump]she summarizes.

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Behind the scenes, a liberal source evokes as an example the strategy of French president Emmanuel Macron who, during his visit to Washington in February, had not hesitated to publicly correct Mr. Trump on European aid to Ukraine – by touching his arm – while being very cordial towards him at other times of the day.

It was elegant but firm as an approachsums up a liberal source that hopes to see the same thing of the Canadian Prime Minister on Tuesday, if the information put forward by the tenant of the White House is unfounded.

Large and small expectations

Asked Monday about his expectations for Mr. Carney’s visit, Donald Trump remained very elusive: I’m not sure why he wants to see me, but I imagine he wants to sign an agreement. Everyone wants thathe said.

Friday, the Canadian Prime Minister was also talking about very volatiles et changing In this negotiation that starts with the United States.

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One thing is certain, Mark Carney arrives in Washington with two clear objectives: trying to end the prices in the sectors such as steel or aluminum, but also in a wider way, start to review the commercial relationship with our southern neighbors.

The Prime Minister still wanted to lower expectations in the last days: There will be no white smoke Tuesdayreferring to the smoke that emanates from the Vatican when a new pope is chosen.

However, Mr. Carney’s political adversaries remind him that it was he who has raised expectations in the last few weeks by presenting himself as the best placed man to untie crises and stand up to Mr. Trump.

It is obvious that Mr. Carney pivoted his campaign around the threat of Mr. Trump […]so it is up to him to demonstrate the strength he wanted to embodyconcludes the conservative deputy Gérard Deltell.