Washington D.C. – In a surprising turn of events, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney lauded U.S. President Donald Trump for his role in fostering peace between India and Pakistan, during a bilateral meeting at the White House on Tuesday. Carney's remarks signal a potential shift in Canada's diplomatic stance, especially after previous tensions with the U.S. over trade and Trump's earlier suggestion of a U.S. annexation of Canada.
"You are a transformative president," Carney stated in the Oval Office, with Trump present. He credited Trump's influence for "peace from India, Pakistan through to Azerbaijan, Armenia, disabling Iran as the force of terror," while also recognizing the transformation in the economy and NATO partners' increased defense spending.
Carney's comments seemingly reference a period of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan earlier this year. Trump had repeatedly claimed that he helped settle the tensions between India and Pakistan in May. He said on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a "full and immediate" ceasefire after talks mediated by Washington. He has repeated this claim nearly 50 times.
However, India has consistently denied any third-party intervention in de-escalating the conflict. India maintains that the understanding on the cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two militaries.
The tensions between the two nations escalated following the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians, after which India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. On May 10, India and Pakistan reached an understanding to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
Trump has also claimed that his aggressive tariff strategy pushed the two nuclear-armed nations toward a ceasefire during the period of heightened conflict.
Carney, who assumed office in April, had previously met with Trump in May during a prior visit to Washington. His recent praise marks a notable departure from previous unease, particularly after Trump's suggestion of potentially annexing Canada into the United States to bypass tariffs. This suggestion had sparked outrage in Canada and led to a decrease in Canadian travel to the U.S. According to Canada's national statistics agency, Canadian visits to the U.S. have dropped by 23% in the first seven months of this year, compared to the same period in 2024.
During the meeting, discussions also included trade, the situation in Gaza and Ukraine, and other pressing global issues.
