Donald Trump's name never crossed the lips of either leader. Yet on Sunday, September 20, in Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a French territory off the coast of Canada, no one was fooled. The presence of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, an unprecedented historic gesture to demonstrate his closeness with France and President Emmanuel Macron, was clearly prompted by provocations from the American president.

By repeatedly insulting his allies and threatening the sovereignty of both France and Canada, Trump paved the way for a tactical – and for now, symbolic – rapprochement between the two nations, putting the small French islands in the North Atlantic in the spotlight for several hours.

"History remembers those who act. Those who defend sovereignty. Those who remain faithful to their values. It is on these foundations that nations – and friendships that stand the test of time – are built," said Carney in a statement delivered in both French and English.

It was both a reference to the past – to the choice made by the people of Saint Pierre and Miquelon in 1941 to join Free France rather than the Vichy regime – and the present. In this era marked by a "breakdown" of the postwar world order, when "our societies have been shaken by new storms," by "the upheavals caused by climate change, the erosion of democratic norms and new threats to our sovereignty," Canada is choosing Europe and France, affirmed the Canadian leader.