WSJ: Canada Is Ready To Resist

• 3.09.2026, 23:46

Ottawa doesn't like Trump's encroachments.

Canada fears that the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump could turn the country into something like Venezuela—a state that is effectively deprived of its autonomy, writes The Wall Street Journal.

Following the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces, Venezuela has effectively come under U.S. control. The country’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, is effectively under Washington’s patronage; U.S. troops are operating in the country at their own discretion, and oil revenues are funneled through the U.S. Treasury.

“This is a radical manifestation of the so-called ‘Donro Doctrine’—a new version of the ‘Monroe Doctrine’ that envisages U.S. dominance throughout the Western Hemisphere,” the authors write.

“For Carney, it’s not about economic costs, but about sovereignty,” the publication notes, explaining Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s hardline stance.

Canadian authorities are particularly concerned that Washington is attempting to use trade as a tool for political pressure. Trump has already threatened Canada with high tariffs and has repeatedly spoken of the possibility of the country joining the U.S. as the 51st state.

“No Canadian leader wants to become the Delsi Rodriguez of the North,” said former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.

U.S. demands, which Ottawa interpreted as an attempt to gain veto power over Canada’s trade agreements with other countries, have become a separate source of tension.

At the same time, Washington is interested in Canadian resources, primarily oil. Trump advocates expanding U.S. access to Canadian raw material reserves while simultaneously seeking to protect the American market from Canadian industrial products.

Canadian leaders now view economic dependence on the U.S. as a potential lever for pressure. However, the authors argue that it remains unclear whether Ottawa will be able to withstand a protracted trade war.