WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada had one key goal in his high-stakes meeting with President Donald Trump on Tuesday. He needed to say, in no uncertain terms, that Canada is not going to become the 51st U.S. state, while avoiding a public fight.

And he succeeded.

“As you know from real estate, there are some places that are not for sale,” Carney said solemnly. “It’s not for sale. It won’t be for sale, ever,” he added.

“Never say never,” Trump replied. But the moment’s potency had been defused, and Trump clearly was not interested in having a fight with Carney, whom he praised for his stunning electoral victory just a few days ago.

The relationship between the neighbors, allies and top trading partners has been at a historic low since Trump’s reelection because of his decision to impose tariffs on Canadian goods and his constant refrain that he wants to make Canada part of the United States.

Less than an hour before Carney arrived at the White House, Trump unloaded on Canada in a bellicose post on Truth Social, repeating his frequent criticisms that the country was too dependent on the United States.

“We don’t need ANYTHING they have, other than their friendship, which hopefully we will always maintain,” Trump wrote. “They, on the other hand, need EVERYTHING from us!”

But Trump struck a much more conciliatory tone once the two leaders sat down in the Oval Office. Trump congratulated Carney on his election, praising his campaign as “one of the greatest comebacks in the history of politics.” (He did not mention that Carney had won on an anti-Trump platform).

“We have some tough points to go over, and that’ll be fine,” Trump said.

As the public portion came to a close, Trump contrasted this meeting with the disastrous one that Carney took pains not to replicate: the Oval Office meeting in February between Trump and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine.

“We had another little blow up with somebody else,” Trump said. “That was a much different. This is, this is a very friendly conversation.”

Over the course of a half-hour meeting in front of the cameras, Carney spoke just three times after delivering his opening remarks. Trump dominated the airtime, mostly with comments that veered off topic. For example, he criticized former President Barack Obama over the delays in constructing his presidential library, baselessly blaming it on Obama’s preference for diversity in hiring. He also assailed Gov. Gavin Newsom of California over the state’s high-speed rail project, calling it “the worst cost overrun I have ever seen.”

He also teased a “very, very big announcement,” though he declined to provide any details beyond saying he would make it in the coming days. Carney took an opportunity to use humor to improve the mood, something he does often: “Mr. President, I’m at the edge of my seat,” he said with a smile.

After their public remarks in the Oval Office, Trump and Carney went on to a private working lunch, flanked by some of their top advisers and ministers. That is most likely where the substantive conversation about the future of the relationship between the two countries would happen, although there were no expectations that a breakthrough would be reached in Tuesday’s meeting.

Canada and the United States share, together with Mexico, a free trade agreement that now lies in tatters; Trump has said that trade with Canada overly favors Canada and hurts the United States.

The U.S. has applied a 25% tariff on Canadian goods that are not covered by the trilateral free trade agreement between the two countries and Mexico, as well as steel and aluminum exports, and a 10% tariff on energy and potash exports. While many important goods, such as auto parts, have been exempted, the tariffs are still having a significant effect on the Canadian economy.