Canada is drawing up a military plan to fight back against a hypothetical US invasion, federal officials said on Tuesday.
The move marks the first time in over a century that it has formally modelled a conflict with its southern neighbour, the Globe and Mail reported.
The response plan comes as US President Donald Trump posted a provocative drawing of the American flag blanketing Canada and Greenland earlier on Tuesday on his Truth Social platform.
Canada does not possess the military strength to counter a full-fledged attack by the United States, so the plan calls for small cells of military personnel and citizens to use an unconventional response, officials told the Globe and Mail.
The officials were not named because they were not authorised to discuss the plan.
The scenario envisions these groups to employ ambushes, drones and sabotage against the American invaders. These tactics were used by the Afghan Taliban against Russians decades ago and then US forces and their allies 20 years ago.
'People do care about what happens to Canada'
The officials said Canada would be overwhelmed by the US in key military locations within two days to a week.
They said a US military attack is unlikely but the federal government is preparing for the worst-case scenario of an invasion.
General Jennie Carignan, Canada's chief of defense staff, is on record as saying she wants to create a 400,000-reserve volunteer force.
The officials said Canada would expect nuclear-armed countries like France and Britain to come to the aid of Canada in case of an invasion. All three are NATO members, as is the US.
"You know if you come after Canada, you are going to have the world coming after you, even more than Greenland," retired Major-General David Fraser, who led Canadian troops in Afghanistan, told a newspaper.
"People do care about what happens to Canada, unlike Venezuela," he added.
"You could actually see German ships and British planes in Canada to reinforce the country's sovereignty."
