Trump's Deal Reversals Undermine Trust Among U.S. Allies and Partners

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters on August 22 that the United States under Donald Trump cannot be counted on to honor agreements, prompting Canada to quit stalled trade negotiations that included demands on French-language content and restrictions on third-party trade. He said the U.S. later changed previously settled terms, calling them uneconomic and unfair, which raised doubts about any deal’s reliability.

Carney pointed to recent examples: a Saudi nuclear cooperation agreement that was effectively nullified after Trump added conditions tied to the Abraham Accords; a pledge to let Ukraine produce Patriot missiles that Trump later denied; and the 2018 withdrawal from the Iran nuclear accord followed by a military strike despite Iran’s willingness to renegotiate. These incidents, he argued, illustrate a pattern of broken promises that hampers U.S. foreign policy. When asked what message to send to other governments, Carney offered none, noting the record speaks for itself.