President Donald Trump has intensified private criticism of Canada in recent weeks, raising concerns to aides about the country’s Arctic defenses and what he views as growing exposure to Russian and Chinese influence, according to multiple U.S. officials familiar with the discussions.
Sources, including current and former administration officials, told NBC News that Trump has increasingly framed Canada as facing strategic vulnerabilities similar to those he has cited in relation to Greenland, a territory he has openly sought to acquire. In private conversations, the president has argued that Canada must significantly increase its military spending to better secure its vast northern frontier from potential encroachment by adversarial powers.
Those concerns have prompted accelerated internal discussions within the U.S. government about a more robust Arctic strategy. Officials say talks have included the possibility of negotiating a new agreement with Canada next year aimed at strengthening northern security. Options under consideration include modernizing early-warning systems near Canadian territory and waters, expanding joint military training and operations, increasing coordinated air and maritime patrols, and boosting U.S. naval presence in the region.
A senior administration official emphasized that the discussions do not involve deploying American troops on Canadian soil along the northern border. Unlike Trump’s public statements about potentially acquiring Greenland—by purchase or, in extreme scenarios, by force—officials stressed that no comparable territorial ambitions apply to Canada.
The White House has pointed to an executive order Trump signed last April as evidence of his administration’s commitment to freedom of navigation and U.S. dominance in Arctic waterways.
Trump’s renewed focus on Canada comes amid a broader effort to assert American influence across the Western Hemisphere. His administration has pursued an aggressive regional posture, including military action in Venezuela to remove its leadership and secure control over oil assets, threats toward Cuba, warnings to Colombia and Mexico over drug trafficking, and sustained interest in Greenland.
The president has long criticized Canada’s defense spending, a complaint he has reiterated in private. From his perspective, current levels leave the country poorly prepared to counter Chinese or Russian activity in the Arctic. “They certainly need to up their game when it comes to Arctic capabilities,” one official said, describing the situation as unacceptable given rising global threats.
While Canada has increased defense spending in recent years, it remains below NATO’s target for member nations, a shortfall U.S. officials say contributes to perceptions of limited military weight. Trump has also expressed interest in expanding U.S. Arctic capabilities, including acquiring additional icebreakers, proposals that could surface in future defense budgets.
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