Trump signals interest in renegotiating US-Canada border, shared resources

US President Donald Trump has expressed an unexpected desire to revisit parts of the border between the United States and Canada.

A call between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in early February revealed that the  US president questioned the validity of the treaty that demarcates the international boundary between the two countries. He stated that he wanted to revise the boundary, though he provided no further explanation for his request, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The border treaty Trump referred to was established in 1908, finalizing the boundary between the United States and Canada, which at the time was still a British dominion. In addition to questioning the boundary treaty, Trump also brought up the issue of shared lakes and rivers between the two nations. These water resources are governed by a series of treaties, and Trump has previously indicated interest in revisiting how these resources are managed.

Canadian officials have taken Trump's comments seriously, especially given his earlier statements. For example, in a news conference on January 7, just before his inauguration, Trump was asked by a reporter whether he intended to use military force to annex Canada. Trump's response was clear: he intended to use "economic force."

While the exact scope of his agenda is unclear, the mention of renegotiating border and water agreements, particularly regarding the Great Lakes, has raised concerns. These matters are tightly regulated under various treaties, and Canadian officials are cautious about Trump's intentions.

Furthermore, grievances regarding agreements like NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) have repeatedly surfaced, further reinforcing the seriousness with which Canadian officials are taking his comments.

By Vafa Guliyeva