"After Greenland, Is Canada Next?" Growing Sense of Crisis in Canada

Crisis Spreads After Reference to Canada as the '51st State'
Defense Budget Increased, Arctic Security Reinforced in Response

As President Donald Trump continues to make overt statements about territorial expansion, including his proposal to incorporate Greenland, a sense of security crisis is rapidly spreading within Canada, a traditional ally that shares a border with the United States. In response, Canada is significantly increasing its defense budget and is even reviewing scenarios that assume the possibility of a military conflict with the United States, raising the level of its countermeasures.

Donald Trump, President of the United States, is answering questions from the press at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington DC, USA. Photo by UPI

According to CNN on January 20 (local time), Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned in a speech at the Davos Forum in Switzerland that "major powers are using tariffs, supply chains, and economic integration as strategic weapons," adding, "This is not simply a shift in the international order, but a fracture in the system itself." He emphasized the need for solidarity among middle powers, stating, "Nations that are not at the negotiating table ultimately become objects of consumption rather than subjects of choice."

Although Prime Minister Carney did not name any specific country in his speech, the prevailing interpretation is that his remarks were made with President Trump's openly declared territorial ambitions in mind. Analysts believe this reflects a concern that if the United States' expansionist strategy goes unchecked, Canada will also be unable to remain free from threats to its sovereignty.

President Trump has recently continued to make aggressive remarks toward Canada. He has referred to former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the "Governor of the State of Canada" and has repeatedly likened Canada to the "51st state" of the United States. On this day, he further fueled controversy by posting a doctored image on his social media platform showing the American flag planted across Canada.

The Canadian government is also considering practical responses that go beyond symbolic gestures. According to the British daily The Telegraph, Canada is discussing the possibility of dispatching troops to demonstrate its support for the sovereignty of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.

Military preparedness is also being strengthened. Canada has already invested 1 billion dollars to reinforce its southern border with the United States and plans to allocate several billion dollars more to bolster its northern defenses, including the Arctic region. Immediately after taking office, Prime Minister Carney allocated more than 4 billion dollars to establish an early warning radar system in the Arctic and announced plans to gradually expand military capabilities in the region over the coming years.

Photo posted by Donald Trump, President of the United States, on Truth Social on the 20th. Truth Social

In addition, it has been reported that Canada has, for the first time in a century, developed a national defense strategy model based on the assumption of a "U.S. military attack." The Telegraph reported that the Canadian military leadership considers a direct confrontation with U.S. forces to be realistically difficult, and has concluded that, in the event of an emergency, a defensive strategy centered on irregular warfare and ambushes would be inevitable. Currently, Canada's military force, including reservists, numbers around 100,000, which is a significant gap compared to U.S. military strength.

While Canadian defense authorities assess the possibility of an actual U.S. invasion as extremely low, they are reportedly also considering pessimistic scenarios in which the defensive line could collapse within a short period if such an event were to occur.

CNN analyzed, "Although the image shared by President Trump was manipulated, Canada recognizes that the message cannot be dismissed as mere fiction," adding, "The existing security perception, which has been built on the premise of a stable relationship with the United States, is now being fundamentally tested."