Trump's Canada statements resemble FSB scenario to undermine NATO, EU — UK expert Grant

He made this statement in an interview with Anton Borkovskyi, host of the Studio West program on Espreso TV.

“This has to be straight out of the FSB playbook. It seems like an attempt to dismantle all Western organizations, whether that is NATO, the European Union, the Commonwealth, or the World Bank. Putin wants to destroy them all because once they collapse, he can start picking up the pieces,” Grant said.

According to him, it appears that Trump, whether intentionally or not, is acting as Putin's accomplice by helping to weaken these structures.

“I believe Britain will stand up for itself and will support Canada and Australia if Trump makes any moves in that direction,” he added.

The British expert believes that, at this moment, we must place our trust in the strength and decency of the American people. Many thoughtful and responsible individuals in the United States are deeply upset, not just by Trump's treatment of them, but also by his representation of them on the global stage.

“Many in Congress are now saying, ‘I did not elect you to do this, to create this mess. I did not elect you to destroy our relationships with our allies.’ We will have to trust that America can sort itself out when it comes to Trump. But as a word of warning, if they fail, then we all have some very serious challenges ahead,” he concluded.

Trump's policy towards Canada

On November 29 last year, Donald Trump, in a conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said that if Washington's 25 percent trade duties “kill” the Canadian economy, the country should become the 51st state of the United States.

On December 10, Trump called Canada's Trudeau “the governor” of the “Great State of Canada” on his social media account. On December 18, he again voiced the idea of making Canada the 51st state because of the large American subsidies the country receives. Subsequently, on February 2, the U.S. president reiterated his desire that “Canada should become our cherished 51st state.”

On January 31, the White House announced that Trump would impose tariffs on goods from Canada, China, and Mexico starting February 1.

On February 2, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau announced the introduction of a 25% duty on American goods worth CAD 155 billion in response to the U.S. president's decision, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum ordered the imposition of reciprocal duties on all goods coming from Mexico.

Two days later, after a conversation with Trump, Trudeau said that the United States would postpone the imposition of duties on Canadian goods for a month.

On February 3, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that a potential trade war between the European Union and the United States would harm both sides, and only China would be happy about it.

Later, Trump warned Americans that they “may feel pain” due to the imposed duties on Canadian, Chinese, and Mexican goods. At the same time, he assured that he would impose tariffs on the EU. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz threatened similar duties on imports from the United States. 

On February 3, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that U.S. duties on Mexican goods had been suspended for a month after a conversation with President Donald Trump. Sheinbaum pledged to increase the number of law enforcement officers at the U.S. border to stem the flow of drugs. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced similar agreements with Trump. 

The next day, Trump said he planned to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the introduction of the duty.

On February 4, China imposed 10% duties on oil and agricultural machinery from the United States, as well as 15% on coal and liquefied natural gas.

On February 11, Trump ordered a 25% duty on steel and aluminum imports.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced that the European Union would take measures in response to the introduction of new U.S. duties, calling them unjustified.