Ex-U.S. Diplomat Blasts Alberta Separatist Talks as State Department Shuts Door on Another Meeting

Overview

• Alberta Prosperity Project figures say they met State and Treasury staffers on April 22, Sept. 29 and Dec. 16 to discuss a potential transition to independence.
• Topics described by the group included border security, pensions, taxes, currency conversion to the U.S. dollar, creating a provincial military and a possible $500 billion U.S. credit line.
• State, Treasury and White House officials characterize the contacts as routine, with no senior principals or commitments involved, and a senior State Department official says there will not be another meeting.
• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previously called Alberta a “natural partner,” remarks separatists cite as encouragement despite U.S. officials’ downplaying of the talks.
• The group is collecting roughly 178,000 signatures by early May to qualify an October ballot measure, while a January Ipsos poll found about 28% support for separation and Canadian leaders condemned the outreach.