OTTAWA — Former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland says it’s important for national security reasons that Canada do everything it can to diversify trade away from the United States. During a discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on Thursday, Freeland said it’s dangerous to deepen or maintain a close economic relationship with a partner who “openly says they want to take you over.” U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly mused about turning Canada into the 51st state and, while he ruled out using military force to annex the country in January 2025, has said he would consider using “economic force.” Even if the U.S. had a president who believed in free trade with Canada, Freeland says being dependent on any one partner is “not a great idea.” Freeland’s new book, “Unreliable Boyfriend,” was released this week and is part international analysis about the evolving role of the United States and part political memoir. Its title is a reference to a comment she made on an American talk show in February, when she said the U.S. is “not a very reliable boyfriend right now.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2026. Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press
