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Event

ONLINE: America First Goes Hemispheric: Trump’s Foreign Policy and Canada’s Strategic Dilemmas

Friday, February 13, 2026 12:00to13:30
Price: 
Free

This event is organized by the Diamond Brown Chair in Democratic Studies and the Թ Institute for the Study of Canada and sponsored by the Max Bell School of Public Policy.

The Trump administration’s assertive stance toward Latin America and the Arctic suggests a hemispheric extension of its “America First” doctrine, rooted in historical precedents like the Monroe Doctrine and Manifest Destiny. From Greenland to Venezuela, these policies have unsettled traditional allies and revived debates about U.S. regional dominance. This session examines the implications for Canada’s foreign policy, assessing whether these developments mark a fundamental shift or a temporary disruption in U.S.-Canada relations.

Panelists:

  • Maria Popova is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Թ and Scientific Director of the Jean Monnet Centre Montreal. Her work explores the rule of law and democracy in Eastern Europe and, recently, she has written extensively about the Russo-Ukrainian War.
  • Vincent Rigby is the Slater Family Professor of Practice at the Max Bell School of Public Policy, Թ. He recently retired from Canada’s Public Service after 30 years in a variety of departments and agencies, including the Privy Council Office, Global Affairs Canada, Public Safety, the Department of National Defence, and the former Canadian International Development Agency.
  • Carsten-Andreas Schulz is an Associate Professor in International Relations at the Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) and a Fellow of Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge. His research focuses on Latin America's relationships with and contributions to international order.
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