A new survey on Friday showed a dramatic shift in public sentiment, as nearly 100 days into the US’ Trump administration, Canadians view their country’s relationship with the US as poorly as its ties with Russia.
According to a report by the Canadian Press, only 16% of Canadians surveyed said Ottawa has a good relationship with Washington-nearly the same as the 15% who rated ties with Moscow positively.
The Leger survey, done for the Association for Canadian Studies, showed that in contrast, 36% said Canada has good relations with China, while over 75% gave positive ratings to ties with Mexico, the European Union, and the UK.
Jack Jedwab, head of the Association for Canadian Studies, said the results reflect Canadians’ high expectations for their closest ally.
“To see it hit that level where we evaluate our relations with the United States as badly as we do our relationship with Russia … is really mind-boggling,” he said.
He attributed the shift largely to US President Donald Trump’s rhetoric saying he wants to make Canada part of the US and his aggressive stance on cross-border trade.
The survey also showed growing openness to stronger ties with Mexico and even China, despite political tensions. Jedwab noted Canadians may see potential to improve strained relations with China due to low past expectations.