US President Donald Trump jested with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during a bilateral meeting, joking that Canada could be the "51st US State." Carney laughed along, and Trump said that while the two nations have had their differences, they can work them out.
"I've been very creative... He said very carefully- Canada and the United States," Trump said, pointing at Carney's measured style of speaking.
Trump added, "We've had some natural conflict, but we'll probably work that out. We've had a strong relationship, and your hosting of the various countries that showed up was a beautiful job you did, and I appreciate it very much. We're going to be talking about trade. We're going to be talking about different things. We'll certainly be talking about Gaza."
He further stated that he would discuss Gaza with Carney. "We're in serious negotiations to a conflict- you could say 3,000 years, but it's been raging for a long time, and there's a possibility we could have peace in the Middle East. Something beyond the Gaza situation. We want to release the hostages," he said.
Trump further said that the whole world approved of his plan. "So our team is over there now. Another team just left, and every country in the world has supported the plan. I don't think there's anybody that hasn't approved that I've seen," Trump said, hinting at potential deals between the US and Canada.
"There's a real chance we could do something, so you may have questions. In the meantime, we'll make deals and do things that are good for both of our countries," he said.
Carney lauded Trump's actions and said that he was a transformative President.
"You are a transformative president. Since then, transformation in the economy, unprecedented commitment to the NATO partners to defence spending. Peace from India, Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Armenia. Disabling Iran as a force of terror," he said.
As Carney was showering these praises on Trump, and highlighted the agenda for their discussion, "This is, in many respects, the most important..."
Trump butted in, "The merger of Canada and the United States!"
Although the camaraderie between the leaders was palpable, there was an air of anxiety too, as the US was in support of Israel and Canada had recognised the Palestinian state on September 21.
In their previous meeting between the two leaders in May, Carney had bluntly told Trump that Canada would never be for sale in response to Trump's repeated threats to purchase or annex Canada.
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