Sources familiar with the negotiations, including three Canadian officials and one US official, indicate that Canada and the United States have discussed critical minerals and defense issues during ongoing trade talks.

One Canadian source and one US source stated that the US has requested a right of first refusal on Canadian critical minerals, demanded that Canada complete its purchase of F-35 fighter jets, and required Canada to acquire US technology such as radar aircraft as part of joining President Trump's "Golden Dome" missile defense system. The US has also sought some form of guarantee regarding future oil and natural gas supplies.

The US source mentioned that a potential compromise involves Canada making an informal, non-binding commitment to complete the F-35 purchase, with the official announcement deferred until a second-phase agreement is reached.