France and the UK would make great allies against "predatory" Trump, Chrystia Freeland has said

Veteran Canadian politician Chrystia Freeland has called on Ottawa to turn to European nuclear powers for deterrence against a "predatory" United States. The former deputy PM and foreign minister under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is seeking to succeed him as leader of the Liberal Party.

US President Donald Trump has called Canada's nationhood into question, suggesting it might be better off as part of the US, while pressuring the Trudeau government for concessions on trade and border security. During party leadership debates on Wednesday, Freeland characterized these comments as a national security threat.

"What is different about this unleashed and empowered President Trump is he is clearly threatening our sovereignty and we need to respond," she said. "The US is turning predator, and so what Canada needs to do is work closely with our democratic allies, our military allies."

Drawing on her experience as a top diplomat, Freeland expressed confidence in her ability to rally support from these parties.

"I would start with our Nordic partners, specifically Denmark which is also being threatened, and our European NATO allies," she said, referencing Trump's controversial offer to Copenhagen to purchase Greenland.

"I would be sure that France and Britain were there who possess nuclear weapons, and I would be working urgently with those partners to build a closer security relationship that guarantees our security in a time when the United States can be a threat," Freeland explained.

Trump's remarks, along with those of others such as government efficiency czar Elon Musk, have fueled rising anti-US sentiment across Canada. In Toronto, for instance, some coffee shops have rebranded the Americano as 'Canadiano' as a form of protest.

With a general election approaching, Canada is set to establish a new government this year. Trudeau announced in January his intention to step down as Liberal leader once a new prime minister is chosen. Freeland, whose resignation from Trudeau's cabinet last December is widely regarded as a catalyst for his decision, is competing against three other candidates to lead the party.

READ MORE: Canada's Justin Trudeau resigns

A seasoned foreign policy hawk, Freeland criticized Trudeau for not taking Trump's threats seriously, including potential trade tariffs. She has also been a vocal supporter of Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, enhancing her rapport with the Ukrainian-Canadian community. Freeland's maternal grandfather, Michael Chomiak, was the Ukrainian editor of a Nazi-controlled newspaper during World War II.