Washington DC [US], July 19: US President Donald Trump has blamed Canada for wildfire smoke drifting into the United States and threatened consequences.
The cost of the pollution "must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Friday. He said he would call Prime Minister Mark Carney to find out what Canada planned to do about it.
The smoke is mainly coming from dozens of wildfires in the Canadian province of Ontario and the northern US state of Minnesota.
It has affected large parts of the north-eastern United States and Canada, including major cities such as Toronto, Chicago, Detroit and Washington.
Visibility was significantly reduced in New York, where the smell of smoke also lingered in the air.
Trump accused Canada of failing to properly maintain its forests and remove brush and debris, saying this had led to the fires.
He said the US was being "unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!" Scientific research, however, primarily links wildfires in North America to climate change.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford had earlier said that instead of complaining, politicians should send help. "Because we have done the exact same thing for our American friends," he said.
Source: Qatar Tribune
