Mark Carney had the right choice of words in his post-election speech when he referred to what Donald Trump was doing to Canada as “the American betrayal.”

The betrayal was a hurling overboard of a century-old close friend and neighbour for no reason other than greed. An American president was saying we don’t need you, and so we’ll maim you with tariffs and annex you if we feel like it.

But is the betrayal already starting to unravel?

After just one White House meeting, bilateral relations appear to be entering the mending zone. At the Carney-Trump faceoff at the White House on Tuesday, there was no big agreement to speak of, no reduction in tariffs. But there was a move away from the collision course, a placing of proceedings back on the rails.

Tariff reductions could not have been expected at the first get-together. But the 51st-state talk was shown to be just that. Talk. Fatuous talk. Trump trolling.

With his politely persuasive prefix – “If I may,” – Prime Minister Mark Carney finally entered the conversation to tell the U.S. President that annexation wasn’t going happen. “If I may, as you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale.” And, “having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign the last several months, it’s not for sale. It won’t be for sale, ever.”

“Never say never,” the President responded, though not testily. To which Mr. Carney jauntily came back with about five nevers. And that was that.

The Trump betrayal, in respect to his baseless backbreaking tariffs, is still very much in play. But under pressure, Mr. Trump has already removed or reduced or delayed tariffs with many nations, Canada included. More backpeddling could come as recession fears mount. And a redo, which appears to be in the cards, of the already redone North American free-trade agreement, could result in levies far less draconian than via White House edicts.

In the meantime, Ottawa‘s actions with regards to the removal of interprovincial trade barriers and the locating of new foreign markets could further ease the fallout.

This is being optimistic, but the Carney performance so far gives reason for optimism. Canadians elected him because they sensed he had the right degree of experience, composure and gravitas for these fraught times. In the first big test, he demonstrated it.

In the lion’s den next to the big bronzed bunk hurler, he showed Olympian calm. He could neither be the supplicant or the aggressor. He let Mr. Trump, surrounded by nodding toadies like JD Vance, go on and on before getting in his never-going-to-happen volley.

This was the tell-tale moment. If Mr. Trump was serious about annexation, he would have given the Prime Minister the Zelensky treatment. A bodyslam retort; You don’t say never to me.

It didn’t happen. Instead, the atmosphere throughout was congenial. “Regardless of anything,” Mr. Trump declared at one point, “we’re going to be friends with Canada.”

Of course, Mr. Trump being Mr. Trump, he could change his mind about this by tomorrow and renew the takeover threat.

But something else was apparent at this meeting that should ease fears of a blow-up. It was apparent that Mr. Trump respects Mark Carney; that given his reputation, his clout, his standing in the domain of international finance, he takes him very seriously.

In Canada-U.S. relations, the personal rapport between the president and the prime minister is vitally important. Differences on issues shrink if they like one another, enlarge if they don’t. Given the egomaniacal nature of Mr. Trump, even moreso.

It is critical, therefore, that a rapport was established between the two men and it seems that was the case. Mr. Trump made the point on his way out of the meeting that he regards Mr. Carney much differently than Justin Trudeau: “I like this guy.”

Given his stature, the Prime Minister might even be able to untie the President from some of his absurd beliefs regarding trade deficits with Canada.

To my mailbox came an e-mail from Gordon Giffin, the Atlanta lawyer who served as ambassador to Canada during Bill Clinton’s presidency. Your Prime Minister, he wrote, “gets an A-plus for the way he handled the White House today – confident, competent, with a clear sense of what he wanted to achieve. He is uniquely suited for the moment.”

Mr. Giffin was not alone in that view. If there is anyone who can restabilize the bilateral relationship and stop the Trump betrayal from proceeding, it’s – if I may – the fixer Mark Carney.