US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that indirect negotiations have resumed between Israeli and Hamas representatives in Egypt on the anniversary of the October 7 attack, and that there is a “real chance” of a Gaza peace deal.
According to a TOI report, during a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House, Trump said, “There’s a real chance that we could do something.”
“We are very close to making a deal on the Middle East that will bring peace to the Middle East,” Trump was quoted as saying by AFP.
Trump and visiting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney discussed trade, border security, and ongoing negotiations between the two neighbouring nations.
The US President characterised the current trade talks between the US and Canada as “complicated, more complicated than maybe any other agreement we have on trade.”
Outlining the reasons for the challenges, Trump said that the complexity of the relationship arises from both competition and closeness between the two countries. He explained that the dynamic stems from “natural conflict” as well as “mutual love.”
“I love Canada, and the people of Canada, and Mark feels the same way about here,” Trump remarked. He pointed out that both nations have “competing business interests” made sharper by their geographic proximity, noting that this has sometimes placed the United States at a disadvantage.
Despite these issues, Trump maintained that relations between Washington and Ottawa have improved significantly. “We believe the Canada-US relationship has come a long way,” he said, adding that the “natural conflict” between the two was being addressed constructively.
Responding to a question on whether his administration would consider concessions on US tariffs on Canadian metals, Trump said adjustments had already been made. “We want to make our own steel, we don’t want to bring in steel for the most part,” he said, while stressing that he wanted Canada to thrive economically as well.
