Prime Minister Mark Carney said he examined the possibility of U.S.-led military action in Canada, but declined to describe the assessment in detail in a lengthy interview with The New York Times published Wednesday. He said preparing for what he called an “extreme tail risk” was part of his responsibility, while stressing it was not the expected outcome.

“I think you have a responsibility in these roles to look at extreme tail risk,” Carney told the Times. “That’s just risk management. That’s not a base case, but it would be irresponsible not to (prepare).”

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly mused about making Canada the 51st state. He ruled out military force to annex Canada in January 2025, but has said he would consider “economic force” to bring the country into the United States.

Carney also discussed plans to reduce Canada’s reliance on Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, and the possibility of alternatives to purchasing American F-35 fighter jets. The government’s review of Canada’s plan to procure a full fleet of F-35 stealth fighters began more than a year ago in response to the trade war started by Trump.

Trade tensions have intensified since efforts to reach an agreement failed in mid-August. The day after talks broke down, Trump imposed 50 per cent duties on $28 billion in Canadian goods. Canada introduced retaliatory tariffs in early September. Trump also signed an order to identify and remove products of Canadian origin from U.S. government procurement systems.

Despite the failed negotiations, Carney told the Times that he and Trump speak “frequently,” a point the prime minister has repeated in recent weeks. At a news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this month, Carney said he spoke to Trump regularly and that they could “compartmentalize.” He said they also had a responsibility to work together on global issues, including the war in Ukraine.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump wrote on social media that Canada was “destroying itself” by allowing millions of people into the country “essentially unchecked and unvetted.” He provided no evidence for the claims and described the situation as a “Liberal takeover that will end very badly.”

Carney and Trump did not meet while both were at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly this week. It was Carney’s first trip to the United States since trade negotiations collapsed the previous month.

Based on reporting by Global News.