U.S. President Donald Trump has withdrawn Prime Minister Mark Carney’s invitation to join his newly announced Board of Peace, marking another sharp turn in already strained Canada–U.S. relations as a crucial trade agreement review approaches.
In a late-night social media post Thursday, Trump confirmed the decision without providing specific reasons, describing the Board of Peace as “the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled.” The move comes just days after Carney delivered a widely applauded speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he warned that the old world order is over and urged middle powers to unite against economic coercion by larger states.
Carney’s Davos remarks reverberated across global capitals and drew praise from several European leaders, but they also appeared to irritate Trump. Speaking at the same forum a day later, Trump said Canada “gets a lot of freebies” from the United States and added pointedly that “Canada lives because of the United States.”
Carney responded Thursday in Quebec City, acknowledging the long-standing partnership between the two countries while firmly rejecting Trump’s characterization. “Canada doesn’t live because of the United States,” he said. “Canada thrives because we are Canadian.”
While the White House has not formally commented on the rescinded invitation, members of Trump’s team have been openly critical of Carney’s Davos speech. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick dismissed the address as “political noise” and warned that Canada’s recent agreement with China on electric vehicles could complicate upcoming negotiations over the Canada–U.S.–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
The Board of Peace, unveiled earlier this week at Davos, was initially framed as a mechanism to oversee post-war arrangements in Gaza but has since expanded into a broader, more controversial initiative. Fewer than 20 countries participated in its launch, and controversy intensified after it emerged that Russian President Vladimir Putin had also been invited.
Carney had initially indicated a willingness to consider joining the board but later expressed caution, citing unanswered questions about its structure and a reported $1-billion fee for permanent members.
At present, Carney appears to be the only world leader whose invitation has been withdrawn — a development that may foreshadow a more confrontational phase in Canada–U.S. relations ahead of the looming CUSMA review, which Trump has recently described as “irrelevant” and “transitional.”