He害羞草研究所檚 hell-bent on restoring blue-collar American manufacturing to its former glory, considers free trade a dirty word and wants Canada to wade voluntarily into a failed, gang-ravaged state that害羞草研究所檚 a quagmire waiting to happen.
To be sure, Joe Biden is no Donald Trump. But he doesn害羞草研究所檛 always make it obvious.
The U.S. president arrives in Ottawa tonight on a whirlwind 24-hour visit 害羞草研究所� a significantly less elaborate itinerary than first envisioned in the Prime Minister害羞草研究所檚 Office 害羞草研究所� two full years since becoming commander-in-chief.
害羞草研究所淭his will be the first true, in-person bilateral meeting between the two leaders in Canada since 2009,害羞草研究所� said White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
The first year of Biden害羞草研究所檚 term focused on rebuilding Canada-U.S. relations following Trump害羞草研究所檚 divisive term in office. The second focused on meeting obligations, 害羞草研究所渋ncluding prioritizing orderly and safe migration through regular pathways,害羞草研究所� Kirby said.
害羞草研究所淣ow, heading into the third, this visit is about taking stock of what we害羞草研究所檝e done, where we are and what we need to prioritize for the future.害羞草研究所�
While he害羞草研究所檚 far less undiplomatic and publicly combative than his both-barrels predecessor, Biden害羞草研究所檚 first two years in the Oval Office produced more than enough political headaches for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Friday害羞草研究所檚 meetings may not offer much remedy.
High on Canada害羞草研究所檚 wish list will be frank talk on Buy American, the age-old protectionist doctrine resurrected by every 21st-century president short of George W. Bush and one of Biden害羞草研究所檚 favourite domestic political messages.
害羞草研究所淭he president is very committed to policies that create jobs in the United States, and we don害羞草研究所檛 take issue with that policy,害羞草研究所� said Kirsten Hillman, Canada害羞草研究所檚 ambassador to the U.S.
害羞草研究所淲hat we say is 害羞草研究所� when you apply it to Canada and deeply integrated Canada supply chains, it does not serve your policy purpose. It does the exact opposite.害羞草研究所�
Fully 60 per cent of the physical goods that Canada sells stateside 害羞草研究所済o into the manufacturing of other products,害羞草研究所� and much the same is true of what Canada buys from the U.S., she added.
害羞草研究所淪o if we start carving each other out of our supply chains, the economic impact on jobs in our own country is going to be enormous. We害羞草研究所檙e shooting ourselves in the foot, essentially 害羞草研究所� both countries.害羞草研究所�
Canada is also likely to be playing defence on Haiti, the impoverished, quake-ravaged Caribbean nation on the island of Hispaniola that has devolved into a failed state since the 2021 assassination of president Jovenel Mo茂se.
Roving gangs of marauders now control more than half of Port-au-Prince, the capital city of a country in the grips of a cholera outbreak with little access to medical help, a near-total lack of public security and a powerless interim government.
The Biden administration, its hands full with Russia害羞草研究所檚 war in Ukraine, the rise of China and other great-power concerns, wants Canada 害羞草研究所� home to a large diaspora of French-speaking Haitians, mostly in Quebec 害羞草研究所� to take a lead role.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a fair amount of pressure,害羞草研究所� said Carleton University professor Stephen Saideman. 害羞草研究所淭he reality is that Trudeau doesn害羞草研究所檛 want to do this, and so he comes up with whatever arguments he can to deflect this.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚 am hopeful 害羞草研究所� that Canada will be able to step in and take some leadership in Haiti, because that will matter in Washington,害羞草研究所� said Gordon Giffin, who served as Bill Clinton害羞草研究所檚 envoy to Ottawa from 1997 to 2001.
害羞草研究所淭aking that one off of our menu would be a big help to the U.S. administration.害羞草研究所�
Though it might seem simplistic at the highest levels of intergovernmental relations, the quid pro quo approach is foundational to how countries get along and manage various irritants in the relationship, he suggested.
害羞草研究所淚 do think it害羞草研究所檚 a prototypical example of the United States saying, 害羞草研究所榃e need you to help us out on this one,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Giffin told a panel hosted by the Americas Council and the Council of the Americas.
He recalled the frequent interactions between his old boss and Jean Chr茅tien, who was prime minister while Clinton was in the White House and a man Giffin described as 害羞草研究所渢he consummate dealmaker.害羞草研究所�
Chr茅tien 害羞草研究所渓ooked for places where Bill Clinton needed a little bit of help,害羞草研究所� Giffin said.
害羞草研究所淚 would very quickly hear, 害羞草研究所極K, we害羞草研究所檙e going to do this, Gordon, but for that, I need this,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 he said in his best Chr茅tien drawl. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 sorry, that害羞草研究所檚 just human nature, and it害羞草研究所檚 part of the deal.害羞草研究所�
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby would not say Wednesday whether Biden intends to make a direct demand of Trudeau on Haiti.
害羞草研究所淭hey share a concern about the dire situation down there from a security and humanitarian perspective 害羞草研究所� this is not something that is unfamiliar to either the prime minister or the president,害羞草研究所� Kirby said.
害羞草研究所淎s for a multinational force or anything like that, I don害羞草研究所檛 want to get ahead of the conversation here. But as we害羞草研究所檝e said before, if there害羞草研究所檚 a need for that, if there害羞草研究所檚 a place for that, that害羞草研究所檚 all going to have to be worked out directly with the Haitian government and with the UN.害羞草研究所�
Kirby also played down expectations on another big Canadian ask: renegotiating the Safe Third Country Agreement, a 2004 treaty between the two countries that many blame for a recent spike in irregular migration.
On issues of migration, 害羞草研究所渨e害羞草研究所檙e well aware of Canadian concerns. We have concerns of our own,害羞草研究所� Kirby said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a hemispheric, shared regional challenge. So I have no doubt that they害羞草研究所檒l discuss it.害羞草研究所�
Senior government officials in Ottawa say the discussion on Haiti will involve the two leaders, but not Haitians themselves. Trudeau has so far focused on sanctions, helping Haitian authorities with surveillance support to track gang activity, and building a political consensus on how the West can best help.
Saideman, who has previously worked with the U.S. Department of Defense, said Ottawa is trying to avoid that at all costs. 害羞草研究所淭his government does not want to suffer tremendous costs or cement tremendous risks.害羞草研究所�
He noted that Canada害羞草研究所檚 largest deployment is currently in Latvia and Ottawa has agreed to expand its presence to shore up that country害羞草研究所檚 border with Russia.
Saideman said it would be impossible to expand that force while leading an intervention in Haiti, particularly because each deployed unit generally requires a second unit undergoing training and a third recovering from the previous rotation.
In addition, gang violence would be significantly more risky than past missions aimed at preventing clashes between warring armies, such as in Bosnia or Cyprus.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 not saying we shouldn害羞草研究所檛 do it, but I can see why the government is cautious about it,害羞草研究所� said Saideman, who is director of the Canadian Defence and Security Network.
害羞草研究所淚n Haiti, this has not been the first rodeo,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭he previous missions didn害羞草研究所檛 fix things, didn害羞草研究所檛 lead to a lasting solution.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所擩ames McCarten, The Canadian Press
