OTTAWA – U.S. President Joe Biden said Tuesday he is proud to call Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a friend, offering one of the few comments to come from a foreign leader since Trudeau announced his pending resignation Monday.
The foreign ministers of Japan and Ireland also thanked Trudeau for his service, while the U.K. government issued a statement. But other world leaders have been silent on his departure plans, including those in the Group of Seven, which Trudeau is chairing.
Biden, who is also leaving office soon, said he spoke with Trudeau by phone Monday after the prime minister said he would resign his post as soon as a new Liberal leader is chosen.
“The last time I visited Ottawa, I said that the United States chooses to link our future with Canada because we know that we’ll find no better ally, no closer partner, and no steadier friend,” Biden said in a media statement Tuesday. “The same can be said of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.”
Biden said Trudeau was the first foreign leader he spoke with after becoming president. He said they “stood together with the people of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression” and made investments to strengthen supply chains and rebuild their economies.
“Over the last decade, Prime Minister Trudeau has led with commitment, optimism, and strategic vision. The U.S.-Canada alliance is stronger because of him. The American and Canadian people are safer because of him. And the world is better off because of him,” Biden said.
He also noted that the two leaders tackled many challenges together, including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and the “scourge of fentanyl.”
Fentanyl has been a focus of president-elect Donald Trump’s criticisms of Canada. He has threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on America’s closest neighbours unless Canada and Mexico stop the flow of migrants and illegal drugs into the U.S.
Biden will vacate the White House as Trump is inaugurated on Jan. 20.
The responses from other world leaders to Trudeau’s announcement have been muted, despite the prime minister’s emphasis on international connections during his leadership. Canada is still scheduled to host Trump and other G7 leaders in Alberta in June.
Japanese foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya told a news conference Tuesday that he couldn’t comment on domestic Canadian affairs. He thanked Trudeau for his work with the G7.
“He has made tremendous efforts, and I’d like to extend my heartfelt respect,” the ministry’s English interpreter translated Iwaya as saying.
“Japan and Canada are important strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said, adding that the G7 is crucial for maintaining the international rules-based order amid numerous challenges.
The British embassy in Ottawa provided a statement Tuesday attributed to a spokesperson for U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“The Prime Minister has always worked closely with the Canadian PM and wishes him well for the future,” the statement reads. “Canada and the U.K. have a historic, close relationship and that will continue to grow.”
The heads of government and state for all other G7 countries – including France, Italy, the European Union and Germany, which is currently in an election – did not appear to have commented on Trudeau’s resignation as of Tuesday afternoon. The Canadian Press has asked their diplomatic missions to confirm whether any had commented.
Ireland’s foreign minister Micheál Martin thanked Trudeau for his work on ties with Ireland.
“Trudeau has made a significant contribution to the global stage, always taking a strong multilateral perspective to tackling the challenges of our time and working for a more just and sustainable world,” Martin wrote in a Monday statement.
Beijing, New Delhi and Moscow had not commented on Trudeau’s departure as of Tuesday afternoon.
Trump responded to Trudeau’s announcement Monday with a post on Truth Social that made cracks about Canada becoming the 51st state and claimed the prime minister’s impending resignation was linked to trade deficits with the U.S.
Trudeau said Monday that he would step aside because the internal conflict within his party over his leadership had become a distraction and Canadians deserve a clear choice in the next election.
The date for the leadership race hasn’t been set. Trudeau also prorogued Parliament until March 24. Many expect a new Liberal leader to be in place before then.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 7, 2025.
