Canadians 'weren't impressed' by second UK state visit for Trump, Mark Carney tells Sky News

Canadians "weren't impressed" by the decision of the UK government to offer Donald Trump an unprecedented second state visit to the UK, the country's prime minister has told Sky News.

Sir Keir Starmer handed the invitation to the US president during a visit to the Oval Office. The newly elected Liberal leader Mark Carney said that the invitation "cut across clear messages" that the Canadian government was trying to send to the White House in response to their threats against Canada's sovereignty.

"I think, to be frank, they [Canadians] weren't impressed by that gesture... given the circumstance.

It was at a time when we were being quite clear about the issues around sovereignty." Explained: Who is Mark Carney? It comes as the Canadian prime minister has invited the King, who is Canada's head of state, to open its parliament later this month in a "clear message of sovereignty". It is the first time the sovereign has carried out this function in nearly 50 years and Mr Carney says it's "not coincidental".

"All issues around Canada's sovereignty have been accentuated by the president. So no, it's not coincidental, but it is also a reaffirming moment for Canadians." The former Bank of England governor was re-elected after a campaign fought on the promise of standing up to American threats to Canadian statehood.

He had refused to speak to Mr Trump until Canadian sovereignty was respected. It followed Mr Trump threatening to make Canada the 51st state of the US.

Mr Carney justified making his first foreign trip as prime minister to the White House by stating Mr Trump had changed his intentions to annex Canada from an "expectation to a desire". "He was expressing a desire.

He'd shifted from the expectation to a desire. He was also coming from a place where he recognised that that wasn't going to happen.

"Does he still muse about it? Perhaps. Is it ever going to happen? No.

Never." The high-stakes meeting in the Oval Office was not confrontational, with Mr Carney praising the president's approach as "very on top of the essence of a wide range of issues" and "able to identify the points of maximum leverage, both in a specific situation but also in a geopolitical situation". Since the meeting, tensions between the two countries have abated.

Further negotiations on trade and security are expected soon. Given the deep economic integration of the two nations, neither side expects a deal imminently, but both sides concur that constructive talks have led to progress on an agreement.

With greater goodwill between the two North American neighbours, Mr Carney also expressed optimism about Mr Trump's efforts to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia. The prime minister confirmed his view that the president was an "honest broker" and that his counterpart had been "helpful" in bringing momentum to a 30-day ceasefire between the warring nations.

Despite a reset in relations between the United States and Canada, Mr Carney remained circumspect. His motto is: "Always plan for the worst." Read more from Sky News:Trump signs deals in Saudi Arabia - with murder long forgottenMenendez brothers' murder sentences reduced And to that end, nothing is being taken for granted: "We do plan for having no deal, we do plan for trouble in the security relationship.

We do plan for the global trading system not being reassembled: that's the way to approach this president.".