In another overt display of multilateral alliances — the third in as many days — Canada’s prime minister demonstrated Wednesday his turn toward other allies and ignored the U.S. president.
asserted
minister → demonstrate → president
Mark Carney joined European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to co-host an international event on the sidelines of the United Nations to rally new funding and commitments for oceanographic research, and to launch the Ocean Eye Alliance.
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Carney → join → Alliance
Von der Leyen pledged an additional 100 million euros ($160 million) to support oceanic data gathering and handed over to “my dear friend Mark” — the Canadian prime minister.
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Leyen → pledge → friend
Carney said he’d planned a “matching” contribution of $82 million over five years, but noted that the EU chief had just increased her pledge, effectively double the Canadian contribution, which he said underscored the “urgency” of the moment.
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he → say → moment
Carney thanked “dear Ursula,” saying their presence was “in the same spirit of Strasbourg,” where the two last week committed to a “unique” European-Canadian alliance to mutually shore up strategic vulnerabilities on artificial intelligence, critical minerals and other key sectors amid geopolitical tensions.
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two → thank → tensions
In the two days before Wednesday’s ocean-centered meeting, Carney co-hosted with France and the United Kingdom a forum to advance a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, and launched with European Council President Antonio Costa and others a new multilateralism forum as the U.S. retreats from multilateralism.
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U.S. → center → multilateralism
On Wednesday, it was oceans that inspired the siren call to other allies.
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that → inspire → allies
Von der Leyen said 30 countries had already pledged support for the effort to shore up the global network that provides ocean observation data, which she said faces “a critical funding shortfall.”
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she → say → shortfall
“Sensors need upgrading, and there are still gaps in governance and coverage.
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Sensors → need → governance
This is why we have launched Ocean Eye, our moon shot ambition for ocean observation,” said von der Leyen, adding Europe last week launched a new satellite to provide data about sea temperature and polar regions.
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Europe → launch → temperature
She said 40 boats in the 2028 Vendée Globe sailing race will carry scientific instruments to provide new data from some of the most isolated ocean waters.
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boats → say → waters
Carney underscored his government’s pledge to double marine and land protected areas, to ratify the High Seas Treaty and to host next year’s global oceans conference.
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Carney → underscore → conference
He quipped that he had to get the name right of his newly named ocean envoy: “Diana —” he glanced at his papers — “Fox Carney.”
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he → quip → papers
His wife, he added, is working “tirelessly” on the event, scheduled for Halifax in 2027.
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he → add → 2027
Carney underscored his government’s belief in the impact of global warming — contrary to U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion it is a hoax promoted by “globalist” elites.
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it → underscore → elites
“The Arctic Ocean is warming at four times the global average,” said Carney.
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Carney → warm → average
“We know the ice there is thinning.
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ice → know → ?
We can see the water is opening, but we recognize our picture is incomplete, and of course, this is the spirit of Ocean Eye.
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this → see → Eye
We can’t protect what we can’t see.
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we → protect → what
We can’t manage what we don’t understand.”
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we → manage → what
No American government representative presented at the event, while European and South American leaders showed up to commit to the effort.
Carney’s and von der Leyen’s appeal for more multilateral co-operation in the face of climate change’s ravages on community infrastructure, shipping routes and fishing stocks came the day after Trump scorned the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the “hoax” of global warming while asserting his “America First” agenda on the world stage.
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Trump → present → stage
Trump left New York after attending a Tuesday evening UN reception that Carney’s office said he did not attend.
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he → leave → that
Other than listening to Trump’s speech, Canada’s leader did not have any substantive interaction with Trump in New York, his office said.
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office → listen → York
Carney told reporters he found it more useful to hold bilateral meetings with leaders he doesn’t see as often.
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he → tell → leaders
And although Trump never mentioned Canada in his defiant speech on Tuesday, Canada was clearly on his mind by Wednesday.
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Canada → mention → Wednesday
While his official schedule had Trump attending closed policy meetings back in Washington, the president posted disapprovingly on his social media platform about Canada’s allegedly unchecked population growth.
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president → have → growth
“Canada is destroying itself by allowing millions and millions of people into the Country, essentially unchecked and unvetted, and who are causing problems that will soon be too big to handle.
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that → destroy → problems
It is a Liberal takeover that will end very badly.
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that → end → ?
Big unemployment,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
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Trump → write → Social
While it appeared random, the post may have been prompted by Statistics Canada’s report on Wednesday morning that in fact downplayed the growth rate.
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that → appear → rate
Stats Can said the population of Canada reached an estimated 41,798,407 people on July 1, an increase of 189,425 people, or 0.5 per cent, from July 1, 2025.
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population → say → July
“This is the lowest annual July-to-July (or June to June before 1946) growth in the total size of the population since 1944/45,” Stats Canada reported, “and the lowest growth in percentage since 1915/16.”
The agency’s most recent report showed Canada’s unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.4 per cent in August.
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rate → report → August
“This follows three consecutive monthly declines in May, June and July totalling 0.5 percentage points,” it said.
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it → follow → points
Neither Carney nor his office commented on Trump’s Truth Social post.
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Carney → comment → post
The Aporia
