‘Soft power Trump doesn’t understand': Former foreign minister on Carney’s first foreign trip

Former foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy says Carney’s trip to Europe is a ‘strategic move’ and discusses the message it sends.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is visiting the U.K. and France on his first foreign trip, to foster stronger diplomatic, economic, and trade relationships.

The visit includes meetings with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, where discussions are expected to centre on trade, security, and the Arctic, alongside broader global challenges.

Carney will also be meeting with King Charles.

“This trip is a strategic move,” former foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy said in an interview with CTV News Channel. “It shows that the response to Trump is not just about standing up on the barricades. It’s about opening up new lines of communication, diplomacy, and trade.”

Axworthy also highlighted the Commonwealth of Nations, a historic association of 56 countries, as a key opportunity for expanding economic ties. “This is the ultimate example of soft power. Something that Trump doesn’t understand,” he said.

“Canadians have over the years been pretty good at using communications and relationships with other countries to show that we are bigger than ourselves.”

Axworthy said this trip could reinvigorate those relationships and show that this is not a one-on-one fight with the Donald Trump administration.

“We use communications and relationships to show that we are bigger than ourselves, and we have allies we can count on. This trip is about laying the foundation for a new system of trade, diplomacy, and security that offers a real alternative to the U.S.”

Axworthy described reports that Carney will have a phone call with Donald Trump, instead of meeting him in person as a “smart decision,” saying Canadians have reacted badly, with different officials going to Washington and “genuflecting in front of Donald Trump.”

“A phone call is more respectful. No cameras around, no photo ops for the president to show off. I think that a properly respectful call is what you want,” he said.

“It demonstrates something we continue to have to do and that is that we make independent decisions. We are not subject to the demands or the pressures of the Americans.”