In a discreet move, Canada has crafted a strategic response reminiscent of “insurgency-style” tactics, including surprise ambushes, to counter any potential invasion by US forces. As the Globe and Mail disclosed, the Canadian military has devised a plan to respond to any American attempt at domination, following US President Donald Trump’s suggestions about annexing Canada. According to two anonymous senior government officials cited by the newspaper, the proposed strategy echoes the guerrilla warfare methods used in Afghanistan against Soviet and later American forces. Despite these extraordinary preparations, officials maintain that an actual invasion ordered by Trump remains improbable.

After securing victory in the 2024 election, Trump repeatedly referred to Canada as a theoretical 51st state, asserting that such a merger would favor Canadian interests. Though his annexation rhetoric has recently subsided, apprehensions were rekindled when Trump posted an image on his social media platform, depicting a map with Canada and Venezuela under the US flag. This was largely interpreted as symbolizing a complete American takeover. Officials noted that if an invasion occurred, US forces could potentially overpower Canadian defenses on land and sea within a mere two days.

Considering Canada’s limited military capabilities in facing a direct confrontation from its formidable neighbor, any form of resistance would likely manifest as a drawn-out insurgency, employing ambushes and “hit-and-run” tactics, as reported. The Globe emphasized that the developed model remains a conceptual and theoretical framework rather than a concrete military plan, which would entail specific directives for executing operations. The report further indicated that defense planners believe there would be clear warning signs if the US planned an invasion, such as Washington’s decision to withdraw from bilateral cooperation under NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command. In such circumstances, Canada might seek support from allies like Britain and France, the report suggested.

The revelations come as Trump and the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney both attend the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos this week. This year’s gathering of global political and financial elites has already been overshadowed by Trump’s threats to seize Greenland – a move that has strained NATO, the transatlantic military alliance of which Canada is a member. Trump’s demand for US control of the Danish territory has tested alliance unity, with Carney reportedly considering sending a small contingent of Canadian troops to Greenland, following other NATO allies, as a symbolic show of support for the island. It comes as European leaders have expressed their objection to the US President’s demands to take control of Greenland, prompting Trump to threaten the nations with new tariffsif they stand in his way.

Amid an increasingly acrimonious trans-Atlantic row, the President announced on his Truth Social platform over the weekend that from February 1, the US would impose a 10 per cent tariff on all exports from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the UK – increasing it to 25 per cent in June. The EU is now weighing up whether to deploy its so-called trade ‘bazooka’ for the first time in retaliation, an economic tool that would hit the US with £81 billion in tariffs. ‘Europe won’t be blackmailed,’ Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in response to Trump’s tariff threats, after EU leaders signed a joint statement warning of a ‘dangerous downward spiral’ in the event of a trade war between the transatlantic allies.

The US President also posted a text exchange he shared with the Secretary General of Nato, Mark Rutte, during which the official wrote: ‘I am committed to finding a way forward on Greenland. Can’t wait to see you. Yours, Mark.’ Trump is expected to arrive on Wednesday in Davos, where he is due to deliver a special address at the World Economic Forum (WEF). Business leaders, including CEOs in financial services, crypto, and consulting, were invited to a reception after Trump’s address to the WEF’s annual meeting, sources told Reuters on Monday. The agenda was unclear. One CEO simply had ‘a reception in honor of President Donald J Trump’ scheduled in their diary, while another said their understanding was that global CEOs had been invited, not just those from the United States. One of the sources said the invitations had come from the White House.

The WEF agenda has, to some extent, been overtaken by the US President’s dramatic policy moves, including his demand in recent days that the US take over Greenland. Certain EU leaders have issued a strong response following Trump’s tariff threats to member states, while others have called for calm and diplomatic solutions to the potential trade row. ‘We will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed,’ said Lars Klingbeil, Germany’s vice chancellor, at a press conference in Berlin alongside French Economy Minister Roland Lescure. ‘Europe will respond with a united, clear response, and we are now preparing countermeasures together with our European partners.’ Meanwhile, Starmer said a trade war is in ‘no-one’s interest’ during a speech from Downing Street on Monday, adding that the use of tariffs against allies was ‘not the right way to resolve differences’.