Passing under the radar, Mr. Trump’s statements on the ICE Pact (for Icebreaker Collaboration Effort) were scathing. According to an article signed by Joe Gould and Paul McLeary in the specialized site Politico Pro, the president-elect said he had told Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the United States did not need a partner.
“I called him, ‘Governor’ Trudeau, and I said, ‘Look, what would happen if we didn’t subsidize you?’ Because we give them a lot of money, we help them,” quote the two authors from Politico Pro.
“As an example, we are purchasing icebreakers, and Canada wants to join us in purchasing icebreakers. I said, ‘We don’t really want to have a partner in purchasing icebreakers,’” Trump added during his press briefing.
Change of speech
The president-elect’s comments contrast with the perception that the Canadian government had when signing the ICE Pact last November.
When questioned on the subject, the federal Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Jean-Yves Duclos, said he did not fear that this agreement would fall after the swearing-in of Donald Trump.
“The good news is that the announcement [du 13 novembre] is bipartisan. It was supported by both Republicans and Democrats,” he replied. “And, two, President Trump, during his first term, had already hoped at the time that we could reach this type of agreement.”
