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In the few short weeks since his second inauguration, Donald Trump has done so much to weaken Canada-U.S. relations that our southern ally – alongside whom we fought world wars and navigated global crises – is increasingly perceived as an adversary.

The U.S. president’s repeated threats of 25-per-cent tariffs on all Canadian exports, as well as separate tariffs on steel and aluminum, could unleash an outright trade war in North America.

Simultaneously, Trump’s repeated talk of forcing Canada to become the 51st state, which Finance Minister Dominic Leblanc and others initially dismissed as a “joke,” constitutes a direct questioning of Canadian sovereignty that many, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, are taking seriously.

These rhetorical and trade attacks on Canada have generated a strong outpouring of national pride, sparking conversations about reducing internal trade barriers, diversifying export markets and increasing military spending to reach the NATO target of two per cent of GDP earlier than expected.

But we need to do more. Canada must stand firm in calling out Trump administration falsehoods here and abroad; seek greater economic and security co-operation with our European allies; and join European countries in pledging peacekeeping troops for Ukraine when a deal is reached.

Canada is not the only country threatened directly. From Mexico to Panama to Greenland/Denmark and Germany, the White House is transforming allies into adversaries at a fast pace while eroding the international order and the NATO alliance.

At the recent Munich security conference, U.S. Vice-President JD Vance shocked Europeans by telling them it was their governments, rather than Russia, that are the main threat to democracy.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth raised more concerns by suggesting some U.S. troops

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