Canadian PM says he will speak with Trump ‘when appropriate’

Nov. 24 (UPI) — Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada said he will speak with President Donald Trump “when it’s appropriate,” as trade talks between the two allies have been shelved for exactly a month.

Speaking to reporters in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he is attending the G20 summit, Carney signaled that he’s in no rush to speak with the American leader, who unilaterally ended trade talks with Canada in mid-October over an Ontario government ad campaign that used a speech on tariffs by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan to criticize Trump’s trade policy.

“I look forward to speaking with the president soon, but I don’t have a burning issue to speak with the president about right now,” he said during the Sunday press conference.

“When America wants to come back and have the discussions on the trade side, we will have those discussions.

Canada has sought to lessen its reliance on the United States and forge closer relations with Europe amid the Trump administration. The American leader has imposed tariffs against Ottawa and threatened to annex its northern neighbor. Carney, who was elected amid growing anti-U.S. and anti-Trump sentiment in Canada, has described the United States’ abrasive stance toward its closest partners as a “betrayal.”

During the press conference, Carney emphasized that Canada’s partnership with the European Union is “unmatched” and is based on shared values, including workers’ rights, gender equality, LGBTQ rights, defense cooperation and the territorial integrity of Ukraine, among others.

“I’ll speak to him again when it matters,” Carney said.

Trump ended trade talks with Canada in mid-October over the Reagan ad, which was produced by the provincial government of Ontario, not the federal government.

Carney has apologized to Trump over the ad, which the Canadian leader said was accepted by the president.

He told reporters that he and Trump have communicated since, but that “I’ve been busy.”

“We’re busy,” Carney said, referring to his government. “He’s got other things to do. We’ll re-engaged when it’s appropriate.”