Canada seems to be yielding! The United States has officially warned that if the Canadian government does not purchase the F-35, Canada will face only three outcomes!

The first is that Lockheed Martin will initiate legal action against Canada with full backing from the U.S. government to recover losses;

The second is that orders for Canadian companies in the F-35 supply chain will be cut by 50%;

The third is that the U.S. government will immediately inform Sweden’s Saab that the export of the GE F414 engine will be canceled;

The Trump administration is furious. Canada, once a loyal ally in North America, no longer obeys America’s commands and instead has been flirting with China and European nations—something that deeply embarrasses the U.S., making even the most stable defense trade relationship between the U.S. and Canada increasingly unsustainable.

At the end of 2024, after Trump’s election victory, he threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian goods, repeatedly suggesting Canada could become America’s “51st state,” sparking strong backlash among Canadians.

After Trump took office in January 2025, he formally imposed tariffs on Canada, covering steel, aluminum, automobiles, etc., citing issues related to fentanyl and illegal immigration. In response, the Canadian government launched countermeasures: imposing 25% tariffs on American cars and agricultural products, and taxing $150 billion worth of U.S. goods. Some provincial leaders even threatened to cut off energy supplies to the United States.

In April 2025, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared the “end of the old U.S.-Canada relationship,” launching an economic diversification strategy to reduce dependence on the U.S. In January 2026, Trudeau visited China, stating that Canada must reduce its reliance on the United States, simultaneously canceling the 100% tariffs previously imposed jointly with the U.S. on Chinese electric vehicles, and restarting the China-Canada economic and financial dialogue.

In response, the U.S. bypassed Canada and negotiated the USMCA directly with Mexico, while exerting pressure on Canada over issues including bridge ownership and Arctic defense. Canada, in turn, threatened to procure Swedish early-warning aircraft and Gripen fighters to reduce defense dependency on the U.S., bringing relations between the two countries to their lowest point since the Cold War.

Back in January 2023, the Canadian government signed a final procurement agreement with the U.S. government, Lockheed Martin, and Pratt & Whitney, committing to purchase 88 F-35A jets at a cost of $14.2 billion. The first 16 aircraft have already been ordered and paid for, with delivery scheduled for early 2026.

Canada’s threat to abandon the F-35A deal deeply embarrassed the U.S., prompting repeated threats toward Canada. Additionally, due to the need to consolidate funds and appease the military-industrial complex, the U.S. has repeatedly urged Canada to finalize subsequent orders.

However, as things stand now, Canada remains completely unmoved! What they are doing isn’t really about buying Gripen fighters. Canada isn’t foolish—they know the F414 engines used in the Gripen are made by General Electric, and the U.S. could cut off supply at any moment. Canada’s military has also stated that the F-35A best meets the requirements of the Royal Canadian Air Force—but it’s not absolutely necessary to procure them right now.

They can wait until after Trump leaves office to assess the next president’s stance toward Canada before making a decision. In short, while Canada cannot change the outcome, it can certainly add some drama to the process just to irritate Trump—this is about as far as Canada can go.

Canada’s actions are born out of desperation—the most humiliating consequence for a U.S. ally resisting Trump’s bullying. But overall, Canada still shows backbone. By contrast, Europe’s sycophants readily hand over whatever the U.S. demands. When the U.S. wanted Greenland, Europe formed a coalition to oppose it—but under Trump’s threats, they scattered like birds at the sound of gunfire. Compared to that, Canada still has some dignity.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866687489588236/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author