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U.S. President Joe Biden interacts with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the House of Commons of Canada, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, March 24, 2023.
Blair Gable | Reuters
President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau aimed to show the strength of their democratic alliance during a meeting in Canada, days after Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin underscored the growing ties between their countries in Moscow.
Both Biden and Trudeau stressed their unwavering commitment to Ukraine and the NATO alliance as Kyiv tries to repel Russia’s invasion.
The two leaders individually addressed Canada’s Parliament on Friday afternoon, stressing the strong bonds between the two countries amid several international threats.
“Americans and Canadians are two people, two countries, in my view, sharing one heart,” Biden said. “It’s a personal connection: No two nations on Earth are bound by such close ties — friendship, family, commerce and cultures.”
Trudeau quoted former President Ronald Reagan who said in a 1987 speech to the Canadian Parliament that the U.S.-Canada border is “a meeting place rather than a dividing line.”
“More than 30 years later, our border is no longer just the place where we meet each other,” Trudeau said. “This is the place where we will meet the moment; it’s the place where we will meet the future.”
Concerns over China and Russia are top of mind for both leaders at Biden’s visit. Days earlier, Putin and Xi announced that their partnership would help bring about a new world order led by China and Russia.
The White House wants Canada to invest more money into the NORAD early-warning system, which the administration feels is imperative following the Chinese spy balloon incident earlier this year.
The Biden administration is also looking for its Canadian allies to take a greater role in helping to stabilize Haiti as gang violence rises. Trudeau conversely is seeking more help stagnating the flow of migrants entering from the U.S.
In his speech, Biden announced the creation of a new global coalition led by the United States and Canada to address the opioid epidemic, particularly the rise of fentanyl deaths.
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