Washington: President Donald Trump’s nominee for the U.S. ambassador to Ottawa, Peter Hoekstra, stated on Thursday that he views Canada as an independent nation and pledged to respect its sovereignty. This comes amid a global trade war and hostile rhetoric that has strained diplomatic relations between the two countries.
When asked by Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware whether he agreed that Canada is a sovereign state and should not be jokingly referred to as the 51st state, Hoekstra responded, "Canada is a sovereign state, yes."
Hoekstra, a former Republican House of Representatives member from Michigan, is expected to be confirmed, along with Ronald Johnson, the nominee for ambassador to Mexico, and George Glass, the nominee for ambassador to Japan. All three testified at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, which was notably more conciliatory than the current rhetoric surrounding U.S. relations with Canada and Mexico. All three nominees previously served as U.S. ambassadors during Trump’s first term.
"We have a great history of working together," Hoekstra said, though he emphasized Trump’s focus on "freer, fairer trade," which he believes would strengthen Canadian businesses. Canada, Mexico, and Japan are among the United States’ top five trading partners.
Johnson expressed his interest in enhancing the U.S.-Mexico trade relationship but did not rule out unilateral U.S. military action in Mexico if U.S. citizens were in danger. "Should there be a case where the lives of U.S. citizens are at risk, I think all cards are on the table," Johnson said. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has stated that any such operations would violate Mexico’s sovereignty.
Diplomatic Relations Strained
Trump has threatened steep tariffs on a wide range of imported goods, prompting threats of retaliatory duties. This trade war has disrupted financial markets and raised fears of a recession. Trump has also suggested that the United States should annex Canada, repeatedly referring to it as a U.S. state. Additionally, he has questioned the U.S.-Japan alliance, claiming it obliges the U.S. to defend Japan but not vice versa, while Japan benefits financially from its ties with the U.S.
Glass, the nominee for ambassador to Japan, stated that Washington would "undoubtedly" have to ask Japan for an increase in its financial contribution for the upkeep of U.S. forces stationed there. This refers to an agreement set to be renegotiated in 2027. Glass noted that Japan hosts 60,000 U.S. troops and currently provides around $1.4 billion annually in support for the U.S. military. However, the growing sophistication of Chinese forces has made the cost of countering Beijing "significantly more expensive."
"Whether we have weapons systems that we need to upgrade, command-and-control that we’re going to be upgrading along with the Japanese, these are very expensive ventures," Glass said. "And so undoubtedly, I do believe we’re going to have to go to the Japanese and talk about an increase in that support."
Glass described the relationship between the U.S. and Japan as being "at an apex… an all-time high," referring to a summit between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, where both sides committed to pursuing a new golden age of relations. Glass also highlighted a backlog of $50 billion worth of U.S. military equipment ordered by Japan, which needs to be resolved quickly.
He mentioned the potential for co-production of certain items, such as AMRAAM air-to-air missiles made by RTX (formerly Raytheon), as a more efficient way to strengthen Japan’s ability to help counter China.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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