While other allies begin to muscle up against Donald Trump’s desires (which vice president JD Vance said was the reason that the US was going after Greenland ‘because we can’t just ignore the president’s desires’ – as if Trump’s ‘desires’ haven’t landed him in court time and time again, often finding that those ‘desires’ broke laws), Australia is continuing the ‘no comment’ approach.

Canadian prime minister Mark Carney, who is also in election campaign mode, released a video statement recently that his nation’s “old relationship with the US is over”. Canada is one of the five eye countries with Australia, and following Trump’s aggression towards its traditional ally, it has stood firm against him, with reports Carney wouldn’t even take Trump’s phone calls for weeks.

The pair spoke on the weekend for the first time, with both sides describing it as “constructive” but the issue of tariffs is still looming. Canada has promised retaliatory tariffs with “maximum impact” if the US follows through on its threats, and given the oil, mineral fuels and machinery and tech parts Canada exports to the US, it has a few cards of its own.

Trump has since softened his language against Canada considerably.

Richard Marles was asked about America’s second couple’s disastrous trip to Greenland (Usha Vance wanted to take their son to a dogsled race, but then JD muscled in on the trip and insisted on going, which meant no dogsled race and essentially no trip – no one in Greenland wanted to meet the Vance’s, so they were stuck on a military base the US controls for one night and then went home) and stuck to the no comment line:

I am not about to give a running commentary on where the Vice President of the United States goes and what is being said there. We are focused on our own capabilities, our own relationship with the United States and we will continue to do that.

…There is a lot of water to go under the bridge before any of that occurs. We have a very close relationship with the United States, certainly in respect of defence. Across the board also. In relation to defence and security, the alliance is our – is the cornerstone of our national security and we’re very focused on it. I was in Washington just over a month ago speaking with Pete Hegseth, my counterpart. It was a good meeting in terms of our ongoing defence and relationship with the United States. We are confident about how that will play under the Trump Administration.