CANADA PERSPECTIVE

Ottawa frames Trump's nuclear denial with the precision of a court reporter. The National Post headlines 'Why would I?' -- Trump's exact response when asked about nuclear weapons. The article recalls the genocidal threat of April 7: 'A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back' -- then the ceasefire accepted hours later.

The National Post is the only outlet in the pool to quote VP Vance, who had warned the US was 'ready to intensify damage with weapons not previously used.' The White House subsequently denied any nuclear threat. The NP also notes Trump saying he wants an Iran 'without a nuclear weapon that's going to try and blow up one of our cities or blow up the entire Middle East.' And adds coolly: 'Iran denies seeking a nuclear weapon and the UN nuclear watchdog says an atomic bomb was not imminent before the war.'

For Canada, a NATO ally sharing the world's longest border with the US, American stock depletion and threats against European allies are a direct concern. If Washington suspends Spain from NATO, who's next? Ottawa reads this crisis as a test of alliance solidarity -- and the results are not reassuring.