Canadian-U.S. relations remain in the spotlight Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew Canada’s invitation to his Board of Peace. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Carney is in Quebec City for a cabinet meeting following a public rebuke of U.S. rhetoric.
Here are key updates as they happen:
Trump says China will ‘eat’ Canada within year
“Canada is against The Golden Dome being built over Greenland, even though The Golden Dome would protect Canada. Instead, they voted in favor of doing business with China, who will ‘eat them up’ within the first year!” the U.S. president wrote on Truth Social.
Carney travelled to Beijing last week to reignite economic ties with China – Canada’s second largest trading partner after the U.S. He left with a deal reducing tariffs on some Canadian agricultural goods and a quota allowing Chinese EVs to enter the domestic market.
Last week, Trump was asked about the bilateral rekindling and gave his blessing, so to speak. “It’s OK. That’s what he should be doing,” the president said.
The Golden Dome is Trump’s name for his planned air defence system modelled after Israel’s “Iron Dome.” In the past, Trump has said ownership of Greenland is a critical part of realizing that project.
CTV News has reached out to the Prime Minister’s Office to respond to Trump’s claims.
Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist
Donald Trump says China will ‘eat’ Canada Canada supports Trump’s intent in Gaza: PMO
In response to the U.S. president revoking Canada’s invitation into the Gaza’s Board of Peace, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) says the country is committed to ending the conflict in Gaza and supports the intent of Trump’s pursuit of peace for the enclave.
“Our objective is clear: We are committed to a two-state solution, an independent, viable, and sovereign Palestinian state living side by side with the State of Israel in peace and security, including a demilitarized Gaza, free of terror, and a prosperous Gaza with new economic development and rebuilt critical infrastructure,” PMO Press Sec. Laura Scaffidi told CTV News in a statement.
“We have committed over $400 million in international assistance in response to the crisis in Palestine since October 2023.”
Lynn Chaya, CTVNews.ca journalist
Trump’s NATO comments are ‘false’: Minister Miller
Culture Minister Marc Miller is dismissing U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments regarding NATO allies staying off the frontlines in Afghanistan.
Miller, who served as a reservist in the Canadian Armed Forces, told reporters Friday that Canadians made “great sacrifices” during the 13-year deployment in Afghanistan and everyone knows Trump’s comments are “false.”
Some 158 members of the Canadian Armed Forces were killed in Afghanistan as part of the multilateral operation launched when the United States invoked NATO articles in response to the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks.
Miller made the comments in Quebec City on Friday, where the Liberals were wrapping up two days of cabinet meetings ahead of the return of Parliament on Monday.
The Canadian Press
Bessent on Alberta separatism
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent commented Thursday on the separatist movement in Alberta — making him the highest-ranking member of the Trump administration to weigh in on the province’s politics.
While appearing on the right-wing TV station Real America’s Voice, Bessent claimed Canada won’t let Alberta build a pipeline to the Pacific.
“I think we should let them come down into the U.S. and Alberta’s a natural partner for the U.S.,” he said.
“They have great resources. The Albertans are very independent people,” Bessent said, adding there’s a “rumour that they may have a referendum on whether they want to stay in Canada or not.”
When asked if he knew something about it, Bessent said, “People are talking. People want sovereignty. They want what the U.S. has got.”
Some organizers of the Alberta independence movement have claimed they have had meetings with members of the Trump administration, although they have not disclosed any names. Their message has started to spread among MAGA influencers online, and among Republicans broadly.
The Canadian Press. Read the full story here.
Bessent on Alberta separation FILE: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks at the USA house during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Canadian vets outraged by Trump’s NATO comments
Trump is facing backlash from Canadian veterans after suggesting NATO allies did little during the war in Afghanistan, comments veterans say ignore their painful sacrifices.
In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Trump said the United States had “never needed” its NATO partners and characterized allied contributions in Afghanistan as minor, saying they “stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.”
His remarks didn’t sit well with Canadian veterans who were part of the Afghan conflict, which represented the country’s largest overseas deployment since the Second World War. More than 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces members served in the region between 2001 and 2014. In total, 158 Canadians were killed and thousands more were injured.
Retired corporal Bruce Moncur, who served in 2006 as part of Operation Medusa, said he is “enraged” by Trump’s comments. “We were the frontline,” he said Tuesday. “We took over Kandahar from the Americans because of their war in Iraq. We alleviated those forces so they could move to Iraq. We were as frontline as frontline can get.”
Moncur’s time in Afghanistan came to an end when his platoon was mistakenly attacked by U.S. troops.
“An American A-10 Warthog fired on our position without looking at his coordinates,” Moncur said. “It strafed myself and my entire platoon, essentially wiping out my platoon and killing (Private) Mark Anthony Graham.”
Andrew Johnson, CTV News B.C. bureau chief. Read the full story here.
CTV National News: Canadian veteran responds to Trump’s claims about NATO’s help in Afghanistan Andrew Johnson speaks with a Canadian veteran about his experiences fighting in Afghanistan and the outrage sparked by comments made by U.S. President Trump.
Prince Harry responds
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has signalled Trump should apologize for his false assertion that troops from non-U.S. NATO countries avoided the front line during the Afghanistan war, describing Trump’s remarks as “insulting” and “appalling.”
In the U.K., the reaction to Trump’s comments was raw.
Starmer paid tribute to the 457 British personnel who died and to those have been left with profound life-long injuries.
“I will never forget their courage, their bravery and the sacrifice they made for their country,” Starmer said. “I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling and I am not surprised they have caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured and, in fact, across the country.”
Without naming Trump by name, Prince Harry weighed in to the furor too, saying the “sacrifices” of British soldiers during the war “deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect.”
“Thousands of lives were changed forever,” said Harry, who undertook two tours of duty in Afghanistan in the British army and who lost friends there. “Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost.”
The Associated Press. Read the full story here.
Canada out of ‘most prestigious’ Board of Peace
Trump disinvited Carney from his Board of Peace – a group of leaders the president inaugurated yesterday with the stated goal of overseeing the future of Gaza. Trump appointed himself as chairman.
The president invited Carney, who initially agreed in principle. In a post on Truth Social yesterday, Trump rescinded that invitation.
The move comes after the prime minister made global headlines earlier this week for a forceful speech warning of a “rupture” in the rules-based international order. He called on middle powers to collaborate and create a “third path with impact” in the face of economic coercion from the world’s superpowers.
Trump Truth Social Carney Board of Peace
In his post, Trump said Canada is no longer invited to joined “the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time.”
So far, 22 countries have accepted invitations, including Egypt, the UAE and Qatar. The U.K., France and a handful of other countries refused. Ukraine and Russia, among others, were invited but have not committed to joining.
Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist
Anand: Canada to pursue Gaza peace ‘regardless’
The Prime Minister’s Office would not answer questions Thursday night or early Friday morning about whether the government learned about Canada’s disinvitation via social media or through a more official channel.
“I am constantly in touch with my G7 counterparts,” foreign affairs minister Anita Anand told reporters on her way into cabinet Friday morning, in response to questions about the move.
“We will continue to ensure that Canada does whatever possible to ensure that humanitarian aid flows, and that there is a ceasefire that is maintained and that Hamas disarms. Those are Canadian values, those are our values, and we will continue to pursue them, regardless,” said Anand.
Abigail Bimman, CTV News national correspondent. Read the full story here.
Anita Anand Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs arrives for a Cabinet Planning Forum at the Citadelle in Quebec City, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot ‘Buy Canadian’ movement has waned, for now
Some shoppers may no longer check labels at the grocery store so intently to see which products have Canadian ties as the buy Canadian movement that swept the country has waned.
About a year since the fresh wave of patriotism set in at the grocery store, many shoppers have returned to buying the cheapest option available – no matter the origin.
“We are seeing some customers who are going back to those products that they love, now that they are much cheaper than they were, and that will have some impact on Canadian sales,” Loblaw chief executive Per Bank told analysts during a conference call in November.
However, with the Canada-United States-Mexico free trade agreement up for review this year, it sets the stage for intensified rhetoric from Trump. Experts say it could also pave the way for a fresh wave of the buy-Canadian sentiment.
“Based on the direction that the trade talks would take, we will see that fervor returning back into the shopping decision,” predicted Amar Singh, senior director and head of Canadian retail insights at Kantar.
“There’s a very high chance of it happening.”
The Canadian Press. Read the full story here.
Prepared in Canada signage at a store in the town of St. Andrews, New Brunswick on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes Prepared in Canada signage at a store in the town of St. Andrews, N.B., on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes ‘A blessing in disguise’
Trump’s decision to rescind his invitation for Carney to join his Board of Peace for Gaza is good news for the Canadian prime minister, says a professor, as the war of words between neighbouring leaders churns on.
“I think it’s a huge blessing in disguise because then Canada doesn’t have to make a decision to join this vanity project that Donald Trump is pursuing,” Nader Hashemi, associate professor of Middle East and Islamic politics at Georgetown University told CTV’s Your Morning on Friday.
“Trump has made the decision already for him. The revocation of the invitation is really at the core of this board of peace; it revolves around the personal preferences and wishes of Donald Trump who acts as, effectively, an emperor.”
Jordan Fleguel, CTVNews.ca journalist
Davos Donald Trump U.S. President Donald Trump listens to speakers after the signing of a Board of Peace charter during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Military applications jump
Applications to join the Canadian Armed Forces are rising after years of missed recruitment targets, marking a turnaround for a military that has struggled to attract new members amid staffing shortages, pay concerns and a lengthy hiring process.
In an email to CTVNews.ca Tuesday, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) said applications for the regular force are up nearly 13 per cent so far in the 2025-26 fiscal year, compared to last year.
That follows a 55 per cent jump in new recruits in the previous year, with CAF reporting 6,700 new members joining the regular force as of December 2025 – the highest number of enrolments in the past decade.
This development comes with heightened attention on Trump’s recent rhetoric on taking over Greenland and his interest in the Arctic for national security purposes.
However, the military avoided pointing to tensions from Canada’s southern neighbour as a reason for the spike in potential recruits.
Dorcas Marfo, CTVNews.ca journalist. Read the full story here.
Canada military enlistment FILE: A member of the Queen’s York Rangers stands in a military vehicle. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young World order changing, not rupturing, say finance chiefs
The world order is changing but not enduring a rupture, finance leaders said on Friday, pushing back on Carney’s narrative that a new order, driven by major power coercion, was taking shape.
“I’m not exactly on the same page as Mark,” European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde told the World Economic Forum in Davos, just days after Carney’s appearance. “I’m not sure that we should be talking about rupture.”
“I think we should be talking about alternatives. We should be identifying, much more so than we have probably in the past, the weaknesses, the sore points, the dependencies, the autonomy,” she said.
Reuters. Read the full story here.
Switzerland Davos Trump U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a Board of Peace charter announcement during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Global growth resilient: economic leaders
Leading global economic policymakers at the World Economic Forum in Davos urged countries and businesses to filter out the turmoil from a week of clashes with the Trump administration and focus on boosting growth and fighting inequality in a world where trade will continue to flow and international co-operation is still badly needed.
The global economy is showing unexpected resilience despite the noise, European Central Bank head Christine Lagarde, International Monetary Fund head Kristalina Georgieva and World Trade Organization head Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said in a panel discussion. But while growth is holding up, troubles like worrisome levels of government debt and inequality loom.
That resilience is holding up despite disruptions from trade policy under U.S. President Donald Trump, who roiled the weeklong forum with threats to impose tariffs on countries supporting Greenland against a U.S. takeover bid, before withdrawing the tariff proposal.
What is now needed, the policymakers said, are efforts to boost growth to offset heavy debt levels around the world and ensure that disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence don’t worsen inequality or devastate labour markets. Europe also needs to boost productivity and improve its business climate for investment, they said.
The Associated Press