Carney says he and Trump discussed defence priorities, Arctic ahead of NATO summit

Prime Minister Mark Carney says he spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump about efforts to protect the Arctic ahead of their attendance at the NATO summit in Turkey next month.

The prime minister held a wide-ranging news conference in Ottawa today to mark the end of the parliamentary sitting that wrapped up last week.

Carney says Trump called him Wednesday for a “long discussion” that also included other senior officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Carney says he and Trump had a “constructive” conversation about NATO, Iran and the broader situation in the Middle East.

Asked about past U.S. claims that Canada has been a freeloader in NATO, the prime minister says the country is pulling its weight in the alliance.

During a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte Wednesday in Washington, Trump said the alliance wasn’t “too nice to us,” citing its decision to stay out of the war in Iran.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2206.

By David Baxter | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.