Above photo: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters.
Trust in Washington erodes among its closest allies.
Ottawa has made a sharp turn toward China to prepare for the ‘new global order’.
Nearly one in three Canadians say they fear the US could invade their country, according to a recent poll conducted by Leger and published on 14 January.
The survey, carried out between 9 and 11 January among 1,540 Canadians and 1,011 US citizens, found that 31 percent of Canadians believe a US invasion is possible, while 55 percent think Greenland is next in Trump’s sights.
One in five US respondents said they believe their country could attack its northern neighbor.
Majorities on both sides of the border also predicted US intervention elsewhere, with 51 percent naming Cuba and 47 percent Panama.
Only 36 percent believed Washington would intervene in Iran.
Andrew Enns, executive vice president at Leger, said Canadians’ views of the US government were not “very high to begin with” and warned that “it doesn’t take much” to worsen them.
He added that the poll results may benefit Prime Minister Mark Carney, arguing that they help keep “that ‘defend Canada’ burning pretty strong.”
Carney’s rise followed a surge of anti-Trump sentiment after the US president publicly floated absorbing Canada as a “51st state.” US media fanned those flames, with Fox News host Jesse Watters calling a takeover a “privilege,” adding that he finds it “personally offensive” that Canadians do not want to be taken over by the US.
Fox News host Jesse Watters says he finds it “personally offensive” that Canadians refused to be annexed by the US: “That’s what everyone in the world wants—American citizenship.” pic.twitter.com/Y7HLLjhtHe
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 8, 2025
The poll also shows broad rejection of US interventions, with 53 percent of Canadians describing them as negative due to sovereignty violations, while 56 percent said the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro further damaged their view of Washington.
Canada and China this week agreed to roll back punitive tariffs on electric vehicles, canola, and seafood during Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first visit to China on 16 January, a move he described as a reset from “recent trade frictions.”
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Canada’s Prime Minister Carney says Canada’s partnership with China “sets us up well for the new world order.”
Translation: Ottawa is starting to speak the language of multipolar power, not automatic U.S. alignment.
This is what a global pivot looks like. pic.twitter.com/XnM4VO6bVZ
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) January 15, 2026
Carney told Chinese President Xi Jinping that a new partnership could deliver “historic gains,” adding, “We’ll deliver stability, security, and prosperity for people on both sides.”
Xi welcomed what he called a “turnaround of ties” and said he was “pleased” with the shift.
Trump’s renewed fixation on Greenland and repeated threats toward Canada reflect a broader US turn toward territorial control as global dominance wanes, analysts argue, driven by resource hunger, Arctic access, and fear of rivals such as China and Russia.
