Justin Trudeau said he expects to have a ârespectfulâ discussion with Donald Trump when they meet in D.C., as experts say the prime minister will have to strike a âtricky balanceâ in terms of developing a strong working relationship with the new U.S. president.
The two leaders will meet on Monday in Washington, D.C., where their topics of discussion are expected to include possible renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement, NATO and border security.
The meeting is widely viewed as a critical first step in building warm relations between the two leaders and their respective administrations.
During a town hall meeting in Yellowknife on Friday, Trudeau spoke about the upcoming meeting, saying he was âcounting on having a good, working, constructive relationshipâ with Trump.
âWeâre going to talk about all sorts of things we align on, like jobs and economic growth, opportunities for the middle class.â Trudeau said. âThe fact that millions of good jobs on both sides of our border depend on the smooth flow of goods and services across that border.â
He acknowledged that he and Trump will also likely discuss things they âdisagree on, and weâll do it in a respectful way.â
Many suggest Trudeau will have to walk a fine line between being respectful to the controversial new U.S. president while also appearing resolute on issues that matter to Canadians.
Scott Reid, who was communications director for former prime minister Paul Martin, told ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ Channel on Friday that typically these types of bilateral meetings are dictated by âself-interest and strategy.â But thatâs not necessarily the case with the meeting Monday, when Reid says Trudeau will have to strike the right tone, posture and composition.
âI think the meeting will be dictated as much by psychology as anything else,â Reid said.
Trump likes âstrength,â Reid said, but he also seems âa bit insecure at times.â Therefore, a âyoung, good-looking prime minister, kind of the darling of the international left, canât let the president feel threatened. Otherwise, we all may pay the penalty.â
Reid said he expects a combination of policy and process announcements to come out of the meeting. The announcements may be about trade or how to navigate Trumpâs refugee travel ban.
âBut the fundamentals, where any of that goes, is going to come down to the working relationship established,â Reid said. âDoes Trump say he sees Canada as a partner, or does he see Trudeau as a threat? Thatâs whatâs really going to make the difference in this bilateral relationship.â
At the same time, Trudeau âcanât appear as though heâs crouching on the carpet,â Reid said. âHeâs got to go there and be strong, and represent and stand up for our values and interests.â
David Wilkins, a former U.S. ambassador to Canada, told ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ Channel Friday that itâs âvitally importantâ that Trump and Trudeau develop a âworking relationship.
âThere are a lot of successes to build on,â Wilkins said. âWeâve got the greatest trade relationship between our two countries the world has ever known.â
For any possible issues of dispute, Wilkins said, the goal will be to find âcommon ground.â
Wilkins said the meeting is âless about personalities and more about issues. Both these individuals are professionals and theyâre going to be working on the issues,â he said.
Pro-business Trump is keen on creating jobs, which will benefit Canada, Wilkins said. âCanada doesnât take jobs from the U.S., Canada and the U.S. together create jobs, so I think this administration, in the long haul, is going to be very positive for Canada.â
Former White House speechwriter Mary Kate Cary told ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ Channel that expectations should be kept âlow.â The two leaders appear to have a âcordial relationship,â but she says Trump âshould be expected to do everything through an âAmerica firstâ lens.â
In terms of policy, it is a âmixed bag,â Cary added, saying while the pair are in agreement over the Keystone XL pipeline, other issues such as foreign policy could lead to âsubstantiveâ discussions.
âIn the end, I would advise Mr. Trudeau to have some tweets ready to go, as soon as the meetings are over,â she said with a laugh.
Ottawa Citizen columnist Andrew Cohen said he thinks Trudeau âshould be very charming.â
âAnd I mean that, I think the president is susceptible to charm. I think that the prime minister should not come with a catalogue of grievances.â
Cohen said the prime minister should also express a âsense of willingness to do businessâ in order to protect Canadian interests and keep the United States happy.
âI would expect the prime minister would not go to multilateral questions where we have disagreements with the United States, whether itâs the United Nations or Russia or NATO,â he said.