A Financial Times report says U.S. officials met with Alberta separatist leaders as discussions surfaced around a potential independence referendum and possible economic support.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
White House and State Department officials allegedly held private meetings with Alberta separatists seeking to break away from Canada, according to a report published Thursday by the Financial Times. The report said the contacts involved leaders of the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP), a group advocating for the western Canadian province’s independence, and included discussions in Washington over the past year.
The Financial Times reported that APP representatives met with U.S. State Department officials on three occasions since April of last year and are seeking an additional meeting with State and Treasury officials. The group is reportedly exploring a request for a $500 billion credit facility from Washington in the event an independence referendum—yet to be called—passes.
Jeff Rath, legal counsel for the Alberta Prosperity Project, confirmed to the Financial Times that he attended the meetings. Rath said the group believes U.S. officials view an independent Alberta favorably. “The U.S. is extremely enthusiastic about a free and independent Alberta,” Rath said, adding that he believes his group has a “much stronger relationship” with the Trump administration than Canada’s prime minister.
U.S. officials offered limited public comment on the matter. A State Department spokesperson told the Financial Times that the department “regularly meets with civil society types” and said that no commitments were made during the discussions. A White House official similarly said administration officials meet with a variety of civil society groups and that “no such support, or any other commitments, was conveyed.”
The U.S. Treasury declined to comment directly. However, a person familiar with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s thinking told the Financial Times that neither Bessent nor other senior Treasury officials were aware of any proposed credit facility and did not intend to engage on the issue.
Separately, Bessent recently described Alberta as a “natural partner” for the United States while discussing oil pipeline issues affecting cross-border energy development, according to remarks shared on social media.
The Financial Times report comes amid broader geopolitical tensions involving Canada, the United States and China. President Donald Trump has publicly opposed closer economic ties between Canada and China and has warned Ottawa of potential trade consequences. ZeroHedge reported that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada has “no intention” of pursuing a free trade deal with Beijing after Trump threatened steep tariffs.
Carney Urges U.S. to Respect Canadian Sovereignty Amid Alberta Separatist Push
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday that he expects the United States to “respect Canadian sovereignty,” responding to reports that U.S. State Department officials have met with separatists from the oil-rich province of Alberta.
Carney’s comments followed reporting that leaders of the Alberta Prosperity Project, a group advocating independence for the western province, held multiple meetings with U.S. officials in Washington. The group has received approval to collect signatures in support of a referendum that could place Alberta’s independence question before voters as early as this fall.
Speaking to reporters alongside Canada’s provincial premiers, including Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, Carney said he had not discussed Alberta’s separatist movement in his direct conversations with President Donald Trump. He added that Trump had also not raised the long-standing separatist movement in Quebec.
“I expect the U.S. administration to respect Canadian sovereignty,” Carney said when asked about the reported meetings and recent comments by U.S. officials.
Carney has previously spoken about global economic realignment, including remarks made earlier this year during engagements with Chinese officials, in which he discussed the evolving international trade system and multilateral institutions.
Trump has cited the administration’s National Security Strategy in arguing for a recalibration of trade relationships to counter China’s excess industrial capacity. The strategy document states that the United States seeks to encourage allies, including Canada, to adopt trade policies that help rebalance China’s economy.
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The issue gained further attention after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spoke favorably about Alberta during a recent interview, describing the province as a “natural partner” for the United States and praising its resources and independent culture.
Unlike Quebec’s decades-old independence movement, separatism in Alberta has historically remained marginal. However, resentment toward Ottawa intensified during former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decade in office, particularly over climate policies that Albertans viewed as hostile to the province’s oil-driven economy. Provincial leaders have accused Trudeau’s government of blocking major energy infrastructure projects sought by Alberta’s oil and gas sector.
Premier Smith echoed Carney’s call for U.S. restraint, saying she would expect Washington to avoid any interference related to a potential referendum. She said she would raise concerns directly with U.S. officials if necessary.
Smith reiterated her support for what she described as a “sovereign Alberta, within a united Canada,” while blaming past federal policies for fueling alienation in the province. “For 10 years under Justin Trudeau’s government, our province was relentlessly attacked, our economy was relentlessly attacked,” she said.
Smith has suggested that cooperation from Carney’s government on advancing a new oil pipeline to Canada’s Pacific coast could help reduce separatist sentiment. The proposed project, however, remains highly controversial and would pass through British Columbia, where several First Nations have vowed to oppose it.
British Columbia Premier David Eby sharply criticized the reported meetings between Alberta separatists and U.S. officials, accusing those involved of “treason.”
Public opinion in Alberta remains divided. A poll released earlier this week found that 28 percent of Albertans said they would vote in favor of independence if a referendum were held.
The White House has not confirmed any formal policy regarding Alberta’s independence movement. The Canadian government has not announced any plans for an independence referendum in Alberta, and no official U.S. support for such an effort has been acknowledged.
Alberta remains a province within Canada, a constitutional monarchy that is part of the British Commonwealth. Under Canada’s system of government, constitutional changes would require complex legal and political processes involving federal and provincial authorities.
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