US officials held secret meetings with Alberta separatists who seek to make the province Canada’s 51st state.
Secret US-Canada Separatist Meetings
The Financial Times has unofficially reported that American officials have met three times with leaders of the far-right separatist group Alberta Prosperity Project, which advocates for the western province to separate from Canada. A legal representative for the group stated, “The United States is incredibly enthusiastic about a free and independent Alberta.” Notably, Donald Trump has previously proposed making Canada the “51st state of USA.”
Further meetings are planned for next month, with separatists seeking a $500 billion credit that would finance the province if a future referendum shows residents’ desire to secede.
White House and Canadian Response
The White House addressed the matter with the Financial Times, stating that “administration officials meet with many civil society organizations. No such support or other commitments have been provided.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded during a January 29 press conference, saying, “We expect the US administration to respect Canada’s sovereignty. I always express this view clearly in conversations with President Trump.” Carney also noted that Trump never raised the separatist issue in their discussions.
Comparisons to Ukrainian Donbas
Former Canadian MP Charlie Angus commented on the situation, comparing Alberta’s separatist movement to the Ukrainian Donbas region. The Center for Eastern European Studies reported that pro-Russian separatists operate in the mentioned area, organizing a 2014 referendum on the sovereignty of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, which was widely considered undemocratic with falsified results.
The 2014 referendum included instances of voting by unauthorized persons and the distribution of ballots on streets for days before the event. In many locations, the referendum did not occur at all. The separatists subsequently declared sovereignty for the Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic. Similar referenda were held in 2022 in Russian-controlled territories, also described as fictional.
