Rubio says he will not discuss US 'taking over Canada' at G7 summit

WASHINGTON

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday said that the G7 foreign ministers meeting in Canada will not discuss the US "taking over Canada."

Speaking to reporters during a refueling stop at Shannon Airport in Ireland, Rubio was asked about US President Donald Trump's proposal to take over Canada and make it the 51st state.

"He’s (Trump) made an argument that it’s their interest to do so. Obviously, the Canadians don’t agree, apparently … that's not what we're going to discuss at the G7 and that's not what we're going to be discussing in our trip here," Rubio said.

Rubio emphasized the longstanding cooperation between the US and Canada, particularly through the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and highlighted the broader focus of the G7 meeting, including security in North America and global issues such as the war in Ukraine.

“They're the host nation, and we have a lot of other things we work on together. We defend North America through NORAD and the airspace of our continent together, so -- not to mention the issues of Ukraine and other commonalities. So, we’re going to be focused in the G7 on all of those things. That’s what the meeting is about. It is not a meeting about how we’re going to take over Canada.”