BANFF — President Donald Trump on Monday confirmed the US and Canada could reach a trade deal in the coming days.Speaking at a press conference alongside Prime Minister Mark Carney ahead of their first G7 meeting in Kananaskis — where Trump did all the talking — the president said he and Carney were in negotiations. “Our primary focus will be trade, and trade with Canada, and I’m sure we can work something out,” Trump told reporters. “We have different tariff concepts. I have a tariff concept, and Mark has a different concept, one that some people like."“I’m a tariff person, I’ve always been a tariff person. It's simple. It’s easy. It’s precise. It just goes very quickly.” “I think Mark has a very complex idea, but also very good.”When asked if a deal would be “achievable within days, within weeks,” Trump responded: “Yup, it’s achievable. But both countries have to agree.” The PMO later put out a statement that it hoped an agreement could be reached within 30 days..Trump also remarked the G7 used to be called the G8, before Russia was removed. “Barack Obama, and a person named Trudeau didn’t want to have Russia in," said Trump.“And I would say that was a mistake. Because you wouldn’t have a war (in Ukraine) right now if Russia was in.” “And you wouldn't have a war right now if Trump were president four years ago.“It used to be the G8.”“And they threw Russia out, which I claimed was a very big mistake. I wasn’t in politics then, but I was very loud about it. I said it was a mistake, in that you spend so much time talking about Russia, and he’s no longer at the table.”“So it makes life more complicated, but you wouldn’t have had the war.” When asked if Putin should have a seat today, Trump said he wouldn’t say that, but it was a “big mistake” back then.“He wasn’t really an enemy at the time. But if I were president at that time, you wouldn’t have a war right now," he said. “Putin speaks to me, he doesn’t speak to anybody else. He was very insulted to be thrown out — anyone would be, it was very insulting.” “Trudeau convinced a few people, he was thrown out." “He doesn’t even speak to the people that threw him out, and I don’t blame him.” Russian President Vladimir Putin was removed from the then-G8 in March 2014 after Russia annexed Crimea. Stephen Harper was prime minister at the time.
