QUEBEC CITY, Quebec (Reuters) - The United States and Canada swung sharply on Sunday toward a diplomatic and trade crisis as top White House advisers lashed out at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a day after U.S. President Trump called him “very dishonest and weak.”
The spat drew in Germany and France, which sharply criticized Trump’s decision to abruptly withdraw his support for a Group of Seven communique hammered out at a Canadian summit on Saturday, accusing him of destroying trust and acting inconsistently.
“Canada does not conduct its diplomacy through ad hominem attacks ... and we refrain particularly from ad hominem attacks when it comes to a close ally,” Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters on Sunday.
Freeland reiterated that Canada would retaliate to U.S. tariffs in a measured and reciprocal way, adding the country would always be willing to talk.
Trump in Singapore on Monday escalated his war of words with Canada and the European Union in a pair of tweets.
Trump said: “Fair Trade is now to be called Fool Trade if it is not Reciprocal” and suggested that Canada was profiting from U.S. trade, citing what he said was a Canadian press release. “Then Justin acts hurt when called out!”
He again suggested the United States was footing too much of the costs of NATO and “protecting many of these same countries that rip us off” on trade. The European Union, he added “should pay much more for Military!”
Trump had arrived in Singapore late on Sunday for the summit with North Korean leader King Jong Un that could lay the groundwork for ending a nuclear stand-off between the old foes.
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow accused Trudeau of betraying Trump with “polarizing” statements on trade
