Prime Minister Mark Carney sits down with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office today in their first face‑to‑face talks and testing a rocky relationship overshadowed by an escalating trade war and verbal attacks on Canadian sovereignty.The meeting comes less than a month after Carney’s Liberals won re‑election on promises to “stand up to Trump.” Since then, Trump has slapped a 25% tariff on Canadian goods not covered by the USMCA, while Ottawa hit back with matching tariffs.Trump’s repeated suggestion that Canada could become the fifty-first state has further chilled relations between the two countries. .On the campaign trail, Carney called the idea “not an idle threat” but vowed “that will never, ever happen.”Both leaders say today’s meeting is only a first step. Carney warned reporters on Monday that progress will be “difficult, but constructive,” adding that any new deal “must be negotiated on our terms.” Trump sounded less certain, telling Fox Business, “I’m not sure what he wants to see me about, but I guess he wants to make a deal.”"They have basically been feeding off of us for decades upon decades upon decades. They have their socialist regime and it's basically feeding off of America ... why do we do our films in Canada? C'mon! ... I just don't see how it works out perfectly," US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick told Fox Business..Officials on both sides expect talk to centre on tariffs, cross‑border supply chains, and future security cooperation. Carney argues the long era of deep economic integration is “over,” insisting Canada must diversify markets while protecting its sovereignty.Trump says American industries need protection from “unfair northern competition.”Carney arrives backed by polls showing Canadians favour a tougher line with Washington. .Business leaders fear prolonged uncertainty. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce warns escalating tariffs could cost thousands of jobs on both sides of the border if talks stall.The White House says no major announcements are planned. Instead, today is billed as a chance for the two leaders to meet in person and plan a path for months of formal negotiations ahead.
