Latest news with #MatthiasLüttenberg
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As Trump heads to the G7, Canada hopes to avoid another Charlevoix-style eruption
OTTAWA — U.S. President Donald Trump is set to arrive Sunday in Alberta for the G7 summit — his first visit to Canada since leaving in a huff seven years ago. Ottawa could use everything from golfing and creative scheduling to special cabinet orders to make the visit successful and avoid a repeat diplomatic disaster. "He is somebody who is very prickly when he feels like he's not being fully respected," said Eric Miller, president of Rideau Potomac Strategy Group, a cross-border consultancy. "You want to make absolutely sure that … he walks away and says, 'You know, those Canadians aren't so bad after all.'" Better than last time The last time Trump was in Canada — for the G7 summit in the Charlevoix region of Quebec — things ended in a blowout. Trump refused to sign the communiqué, the published list of statements on common G7 issues that are mostly negotiated and agreed to by member nations ahead of time. He left early and lambasted Trudeau as "very dishonest and weak" in a spat over tariffs. The summit included what Miller called the "photograph for the ages" — of then German chancellor Angela Merkel and others standing sternly over a seated Donald Trump, who appeared to be glaring back with crossed arms. German Ambassador to Canada Matthias Lüttenberg put it bluntly when he told a June 4 panel that Ottawa was again navigating "very difficult circumstances" as G7 chair — and capably, in his view. "I mean, I wouldn't like to negotiate with a country at the table who's questioning my sovereignty as a state," he said. Sen. Peter Boehm, who was summit head in 2018, recalled two late nights of negotiations because the Trump administration didn't align with the others on including climate change or references to the "rules-based international order." Informal talks Prime Minister Mark Carney won office in April after repeatedly saying he could stand up to Trump's threats to ruin the Canadian economy in order to make the country an American state. Carney had a cordial visit to Washington in early May and even got praise from Trump on social media and in person, despite the president insisting Canada should still become a U.S. state. The two have continued talking. U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra revealed earlier this month that the president and Carney have exchanged frequent calls and texts on trade and tariffs. Miller said facetime between the two leaders in Alberta could help them make progress on economic concerns, as well as Trump's pitch to bring Canada into his proposed Golden Dome missile shield project. "Given that there is this conversation underway, it is important that they have an opportunity to continue that, and to meet perhaps in a setting that is less structured and formal than the Oval Office," Miller said. "Life is about imperfect choices, and it's absolutely the right thing to have Mr. Trump come to Canada." He said he's not sure if there will be any formal announcement, though he added Trump is keen to sign agreements with multiple countries ahead of his self-imposed July 9 deadline for so-called retaliatory tariffs. Miller said both Canada and the U.S. are likely to take credit for Ottawa announcing this month it will drastically speed up its pledge to meet NATO's defence spending target. Trump might also take note of the fact that he's in one of the few provinces that have opted to resume sales of U.S. alcohol, after all provinces banned it from their liquor store shelves in response to U.S. tariffs. Lower expectations Ottawa's decision to schedule relatively short group discussions among G7 leaders, and to invite numerous other world leaders, could mean more of the one-on-one meetings that Trump prefers. "Trump does not like multilateral meetings particularly. He loses interest," Boehm said. Canadian officials have said they are concentrating on releasing shorter, focused statements, which could avoid the sort of major blowups that may come from trying to craft the massive joint communiqués typical of almost all prior G7 summits. Former prime minister Jean Chretien told a panel Thursday that if Trump does have an outburst, G7 leaders should ignore him and "keep talking normally." Miller said that for Canada, "ensuring a positive agenda that doesn't lead to acrimony afterwards" means advancing its interests without isolating the U.S., particularly with so many guest leaders attending. "The trick that Mr. Carney has to pull off is to reassure the U.S. that it wants a good, positive relationship — while at the same time running vigorously, as quickly as possible, to try to build new relationships," he said. It's also entirely possible that Trump will leave before the meetings conclude. A visiting felon Keeping it positive is also likely why Ottawa will skirt rules that might bar Trump from crossing into Canada after he was found guilty on 34 criminal counts in a "hush money" trial in May 2024. Immigration lawyers say those convicted of serious crimes abroad must serve their time and wait five years before seeking a certificate of admissibility to Canada, though there are loopholes if someone seeks a visa for a compelling reason. The federal cabinet passed a formal order published in February that gives diplomatic immunity and privileges to "representatives of a foreign state that participate in the G7 meetings." The office of Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab would not say whether she had issued a special exemption, with her department citing privacy legislation. "Inadmissibility decisions are made on a case-by-case basis," spokesman Remi Lariviere wrote. Fore! Another way Canada could ensure a successful visit could be to get Trump to the Kananaskis Country Golf Course — a prospect much discussed in media reports that remained unconfirmed as of Friday afternoon. Carney gave Trump a hat and golf gear from that course during his visit to the Oval Office in May. Miller said that wasn't just a gimmick — Trump loves making deals while teeing off, and it could provide Carney or others with hours of facetime on a golf cart, which is Trump's comfort zone. "Golf has been pretty central to his life," he said. "It makes eminent sense to have Mr. Trump playing at a high-quality golf course." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2025. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As Trump heads to the G7, Canada hopes to avoid another Charlevoix-style eruption
OTTAWA — U.S. President Donald Trump is set to arrive Sunday in Alberta for the G7 summit — his first visit to Canada since leaving in a huff seven years ago. Ottawa could use everything from golfing and creative scheduling to special cabinet orders to make the visit successful and avoid a repeat diplomatic disaster. "He is somebody who is very prickly when he feels like he's not being fully respected," said Eric Miller, president of Rideau Potomac Strategy Group, a cross-border consultancy. "You want to make absolutely sure that … he walks away and says, 'You know, those Canadians aren't so bad after all.'" Better than last time The last time Trump was in Canada — for the G7 summit in the Charlevoix region of Quebec — things ended in a blowout. Trump refused to sign the communiqué, the published list of statements on common G7 issues that are mostly negotiated and agreed to by member nations ahead of time. He left early and lambasted Trudeau as "very dishonest and weak" in a spat over tariffs. The summit included what Miller called the "photograph for the ages" — of then German chancellor Angela Merkel and others standing sternly over a seated Donald Trump, who appeared to be glaring back with crossed arms. German Ambassador to Canada Matthias Lüttenberg put it bluntly when he told a June 4 panel that Ottawa was again navigating "very difficult circumstances" as G7 chair — and capably, in his view. "I mean, I wouldn't like to negotiate with a country at the table who's questioning my sovereignty as a state," he said. Sen. Peter Boehm, who was summit head in 2018, recalled two late nights of negotiations because the Trump administration didn't align with the others on including climate change or references to the "rules-based international order." Informal talks Prime Minister Mark Carney won office in April after repeatedly saying he could stand up to Trump's threats to ruin the Canadian economy in order to make the country an American state. Carney had a cordial visit to Washington in early May and even got praise from Trump on social media and in person, despite the president insisting Canada should still become a U.S. state. The two have continued talking. U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra revealed earlier this month that the president and Carney have exchanged frequent calls and texts on trade and tariffs. Miller said facetime between the two leaders in Alberta could help them make progress on economic concerns, as well as Trump's pitch to bring Canada into his proposed Golden Dome missile shield project. "Given that there is this conversation underway, it is important that they have an opportunity to continue that, and to meet perhaps in a setting that is less structured and formal than the Oval Office," Miller said. "Life is about imperfect choices, and it's absolutely the right thing to have Mr. Trump come to Canada." He said he's not sure if there will be any formal announcement, though he added Trump is keen to sign agreements with multiple countries ahead of his self-imposed July 9 deadline for so-called retaliatory tariffs. Miller said both Canada and the U.S. are likely to take credit for Ottawa announcing this month it will drastically speed up its pledge to meet NATO's defence spending target. Trump might also take note of the fact that he's in one of the few provinces that have opted to resume sales of U.S. alcohol, after all provinces banned it from their liquor store shelves in response to U.S. tariffs. Lower expectations Ottawa's decision to schedule relatively short group discussions among G7 leaders, and to invite numerous other world leaders, could mean more of the one-on-one meetings that Trump prefers. "Trump does not like multilateral meetings particularly. He loses interest," Boehm said. Canadian officials have said they are focused on releasing shorter, focused statements — which could avoid the kind of major blowups that could come from trying to craft the kind of massive joint communiqué that has concluded almost all other G7 summits. Former prime minister Jean Chretien told a panel Thursday that if Trump does have an outburst, G7 leaders should ignore him and "keep talking normally." Miller said that for Canada, "ensuring a positive agenda that doesn't lead to acrimony afterwards" means advancing its interests without isolating the U.S., particularly with so many guest leaders attending. "The trick that Mr. Carney has to pull off is to reassure the U.S. that it wants a good, positive relationship — while at the same time running vigorously, as quickly as possible, to try to build new relationships," he said. It's also entirely possible that Trump will leave before the meetings conclude. A visiting felon Keeping it positive is also likely why Ottawa will skirt rules that might bar Trump from crossing into Canada after he was found guilty on 34 criminal counts in a "hush money" trial in May 2024. Immigration lawyers say those convicted of serious crimes abroad must serve their time and wait five years before seeking a certificate of admissibility to Canada, though there are loopholes if someone seeks a visa for a compelling reason. The federal cabinet passed a formal order published in February that gives diplomatic immunity and privileges to "representatives of a foreign state that participate in the G7 meetings." Fore! Another way Canada could ensure a successful visit could be to get Trump to the Kananaskis Country Golf Course — a prospect much discussed in media reports that remained unconfirmed as of Friday afternoon. Carney gave Trump a hat and golf gear from that course during his visit to the Oval Office in May. Miller said that wasn't just a gimmick — Trump loves making deals while teeing off, and it could provide Carney or others with hours of facetime on a golf cart, which is Trump's comfort zone. "Golf has been pretty central to his life," he said. "It makes eminent sense to have Mr. Trump playing at a high-quality golf course." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2025. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
Global News
08-06-2025
- Business
- Global News
Canada-Europe defence ties can link ‘club of countries,' says German envoy
If Canada decides to buy submarines from Germany, it would mean tightening ties with a 'club of countries' in Europe as it looks to meet NATO defence spending goals and face an uncertain world, Germany's ambassador says. Matthias Lüttenberg, Germany's ambassador to Canada, sat down with The West Block's Mercedes Stephenson in an interview airing on Sunday and emphasized the value of working more closely together. 'It's up to the Canadian government to decide which direction they want to go,' said Lüttenberg. 'The state of the art submarine that we are offering jointly with Norway, which is built in Germany, is a very good solution for Canadian security, especially when you look at the Arctic.' European countries are investing billions into their militaries and Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged that Canada will join the ReArm Europe initiative in the recent throne speech. Story continues below advertisement Germany and Norway have proposed partnering with Canada to procure new submarines — a project that would give Ottawa earlier access to the vessels and help it meet its NATO spending targets, which aim to get all members of the military alliance spending two per cent of their GDP on defence. Canada has long fallen short of that target, but is under renewed pressure to not only meet, but to exceed that target, as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for more military spending. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Lüttenberg said buying into the submarine project would symbolize a broader partnership. 'It's not only about the submarine, it's also about entering this club of countries: Norway, Germany, potentially others in Europe are interested to be part of this maritime partnership because it brings much more benefit than just a submarine; because we can jointly innovate, we can develop, we can talk about maintenance, but really have another project which is ongoing with Canada,' he said. 'I think this is an interesting offer among the NATO allies.' 1:45 What will Canada's defence spending look like? Lüttenberg was asked about timelines specific to when Germany can reach its renewed defence spending targets. He said they already exceed the NATO two per cent mark and are aiming at upwards of three per cent in the coming years, and alluded to the potential for future acts of aggression by Russia. Story continues below advertisement '(Germany's) minister of defence has said he wants to see the German Army be war-ready by 2029. Not because we want to attack anybody, God forbid, but because we feel that we should be ready to counter any sort of Russian aggression against NATO territory by that time,' he said. With continued escalations in the war in Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion, Trump's efforts to broker a peace deal has appeared to lack progress since his inauguration. Strength in economies, be it in Canada or the European Union, will be important if nations hope to meet budget goals including for defence spending. The trade war sparked by Trump's tariff policies has been cited as one of the biggest risks to global economies including Canada's. Carney is looking to boost Canada's economy amid the trade war by working towards 'One Canadian Economy,' and has now tabled a bill to remove federally regulated interprovincial trade barriers. Canada has a goal to reach NATO's target of two per cent of GDP by as early as 2027, with this fiscal year tracking towards 1.37 per cent — compared to 1.31 per cent in fiscal 2024. Lüttenberg said Germany is planning to increase its defence spending by 0.2 per cent each year to reach 3.5 per cent of its total annual gross domestic product by 2032. Story continues below advertisement 'The two per cent aim to us for a long time seemed to be far away, and now we stand at 2.12 per cent. But we are committing very frankly, to the new target of 3.5 plus 1.5 in terms of additional infrastructure battalions, and expenses,' he said. 'We are supportive of this goal, which is shared by Mark Rutte as well, as NATO secretary general.'
