As Trump attacks Canada, Downing Street sticks to the sidelines

As U.S. President Donald Trump keeps threatening Canada's sovereignty with his 51st authorities comments, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy is calling for unity — arsenic the United Kingdom continues to debar straight pushing backmost connected Trump's annexation talk.

Lammy, who joined different G7 overseas ministers for talks successful Quebec's Charlevoix portion this week, stressed that "Canada is simply a proud, strong, sovereign nation" during a Canadian exclusive interrogation connected CBC's The House airing Saturday.

"And [Canada] volition proceed to beryllium a sovereign nation. Of that, I person nary doubt," Lammy told big Catherine Cullen.

Lammy, who has household successful Canada, said helium recognizes Canadians' anxiousness arsenic Trump continues to telephone for Canada to go the 51st U.S. state. However, helium repeatedly declined to reply whether helium is personally acrophobic astir Trump's rhetoric.

"This is simply a infinitesimal for unity," Lammy said. "That has been the constituent that we stressed astatine this G7. And each I tin accidental and proceed to accidental is that Canada is simply a sovereign country. It volition proceed to beryllium a sovereign country."

WATCH | U.K. overseas caput calls for unity arsenic Trump threatens Canada:

Trump's annexation speech has challenged Canada-U.K. relations, including implicit however nationalist King Charles should beryllium successful lasting up for Canadian sovereignty and whether that clashes with British interests. Charles is the caput of authorities for some countries.

Over the past 2 weeks, Charles met with outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a backstage audience, wore his Canadian medals during a high-profile subject visit, planted a reddish maple leafage histrion connected the grounds of Buckingham Palace and gave his idiosyncratic Canadian liaison successful Parliament a sword. 

But Charles has not spoken publically astir the Canada-U.S. friction. He besides created a disturbance successful precocious February by inviting Trump to Balmoral, a royal property successful Scotland. The invitation was brought to Trump by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a sojourn to the White House.

At a quality league during Starmer's visit, a writer asked the British premier curate whether Charles expressed interest implicit Trump's annexation comments.

Starmer dodged the question and accused the writer of "trying to find a disagreement betwixt america that doesn't exist."

WATCH | British premier curate downplays Trump's speech of annexing Canada:

"We're the closest of nations, and we had precise bully discussions today. But we didn't sermon Canada," Starmer said arsenic the president interrupted him, saying, "that's enough."

When Lammy was asked wherefore Charles should invited Trump — a antheral who wishes to annex a Commonwealth realm — the British overseas caput echoed Starmer's words and said "this is not a clip to sow unnecessary division."

Lammy besides confirmed that Prime Minister Mark Carney volition conscionable with Starmer adjacent week erstwhile Carney flies to London — his archetypal overseas travel successful the caller job.

Russia-Ukraine ceasefire

On Friday morning, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said the G7 is agreed successful supporting a U.S.-backed ceasefire connection for Ukraine, which has been endorsed by Kyiv and is present awaiting a effect from Russia.

"Ultimately, the shot is present successful Russia's tribunal erstwhile it comes to Ukraine," Joly said.

Lammy said Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to judge the presumption of the ceasefire "so that we tin get into the details of a negotiated peace, truthful that Ukraine has the information guarantees that are necessary, truthful that we get an enduring peace."

In a associated connection released Friday, the G7 overseas ministers said they "reaffirmed our unwavering enactment for Ukraine successful defending its territorial integrity and close to exist, and its freedom, sovereignty and independence."

The overseas ministers besides called for Russia to judge the ceasefire and instrumentality it fully

"We discussed imposing further costs connected Russia successful lawsuit specified a ceasefire is not agreed, including done further sanctions, caps connected lipid prices, arsenic good arsenic further enactment for Ukraine and different means," the connection said.

Lammy said Canada "has been forward-leaning connected Ukraine, arsenic the United Kingdom has been" and helium expects some countries to beryllium portion of the radical stepping up for the embattled Ukrainians.

"So this conjugation of the consenting is forming, and the United Kingdom and Canada are broadside by broadside wrong it," Lammy said.