Political news and analysis for Canadians
A group of 11 European Union countries has joined forces to demand an end to the “obstructive” vetoes that have paralysed the bloc’s external action in recent years, arguing that the principle of sincere cooperation must take precedence, reports Euronews.
“The Union’s culture of consensus is an important source of its legitimacy. Therefore, we continue to strive for consensus wherever possible,” the countries say in a letter addressed to High Representative Kaja Kallas and seen by Euronews.
Sam Freedman: “The problem with writing about Donald Trump is that one can expend an enormous amount of energy trying to explain moves he doesn’t understand himself.”
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“While other states find Trump hard to deal with, they have figured out that the best way to deal with him is through a combination of flattery, pretend compliance and waiting him out. As he neither cares about outcomes nor can pay attention to anything for more than a few weeks, he can be effectively managed this way. To justify his focus on Madman Theory, Boys goes out of his way to give Trump the benefit of the doubt, at great cost to his broader argument. In the discussion of tariffs, he accepts that the president’s decision to impose them on Canada was “in part, to stem the flow of fentanyl across the northern border” – even though this is an obvious nonsense. Less than 1 per cent of illicit fentanyl arriving in the US comes via Canada.”
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“While Trump is president, there won’t be coherence in US foreign policy, beyond the occasional reassertion of his long-standing bugbears. The world will keep trying to work around him, probably successfully. The bigger question is what happens next.”
NY Times: “The price for this top-of-the-line trim: an eye-popping $35,000. That’s if you’re in China. Made by Geely, this smooth-riding, driver-pampering crossover The New York Times tested for 10 days in February would cost more than twice that from any brand with an American showroom. Geely, founded in China just 28 years ago, now sells almost as many vehicles worldwide as the 123-year-old Ford Motor Company.
European financial leaders staged a diplomatic revolt on Monday after the Trump administration blindsided allies by inviting sanctioned Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov to attend a U.S.-hosted G20 finance meeting in person, reports Kyiv Post.
The meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, marks the first time Russia’s top financial official has attended a G20 gathering in person since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The surprise invitation by the U.S., which currently holds the rotating G20 presidency, triggered immediate backlash from European delegates who have spent years trying to maintain Russia’s global economic isolation.
AFP: US draws European pushback with Russia G-20 finance invite
Politico: Trump welcomes Russia back to the G20. Europe isn’t having it.
Reuters: Bessent told Russian minister no economic relief until Ukraine war ends, source says
Liberal Party of Canada candidates won all three seats contested in the August 31 federal by-elections.
The Parti Québécois (PQ) is still in the lead, but the latest numbers from Pallas Data show the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) seems to be catching up.
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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent offered a snarky response to threats of retaliation from Prime Minister Mark Carney about new tariffs and the attempted rebranding of Lake Ontario.
On August 22, Trump imposed a steep 50% tariff on an estimated $28 billion of Canadian goods — including beer, cheese, and electronics — on top of existing duties on aluminum, lumber, vehicles, and steel.
Sweden’s defence material administration on Monday signed an order for four Naval Group navy frigates during a ceremony in Stockholm attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Sweden in May said it would order the vessels from the French company in a $4 billion deal that will triple its air defence capacity in the face of security threats in the Baltic Sea.
Sweden, NATO’s newest member, is racing to build up its military in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The first of the four new frigates, which will be the Swedish navy’s biggest ships, is expected to be delivered in 2030.
Reuters: Sweden inks French war ship order
Prime Minister Mark Carney rightly walked away from a bad deal that he knew Canadians wouldn’t buy, write Kevin Lynch and Paul Deegan in Policy Magazine.
Sovereignty – not trade – was on the table when American demands included dictating Canadian cultural and digital policy, eroding French language rights, enshrining privileged access to Canadian critical minerals and oil, and demanding an effective veto over future trade agreements that Canada might wish to sign.
Statistics Canada: Production of crude oil and equivalent products increased 3.1% year over year to 25.6 million cubic metres in June, with growth from both oil extraction (non-oil sands) (+4.7%) and oil sands extraction (+1.1%). June marks the 13th consecutive month of year-over-year production gains.
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