Senior Trump administration officials have reportedly met several times with Canadian separatist leaders seeking independence for Alberta, according to a new report, as relations between Washington and Ottawa remain strained.

The Financial Times reported that US officials met in Washington with representatives of the Alberta Prosperity Project, a group advocating independence for the oil-rich Canadian province, on three occasions since last spring. The meetings reportedly took place as political and trade tensions between the two countries have escalated.

Jeff Rath, legal counsel for the group, told the outlet after attending meetings that, “The US is extremely enthusiastic about a free and independent Alberta.” He also claimed officials attending the sessions were high-ranking, saying, “We’re meeting very, very senior people leaving our meetings to go directly to the Oval Office.”

The group hopes to return to Washington next month to request a $500 billion credit facility to help support Alberta if voters approve independence in a future referendum. No referendum has yet been scheduled.

The White House and State Department denied that any commitments were made. A White House spokesperson told the Financial Times, “Administration officials meet with a number of civil society groups. No such support, or any other commitments, was conveyed.” A source familiar with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s office told the paper his team was unaware of any request for financial backing and does not plan to engage on the matter.

Separatist organizers are currently seeking 177,000 signatures to bring an independence petition before Alberta’s legislature. The group has not disclosed how many signatures have been collected so far. Meanwhile, a counter-petition opposing separation gathered more than 438,000 signatures last year.

Carlo Dade of the Canada West Foundation downplayed the movement, calling its organizers “attention seekers,” and suggested the situation risks deepening divisions inside Canada.

The controversy unfolds amid already tense US-Canada relations. President Donald Trump has recently threatened steep tariffs over trade concerns and repeatedly suggested Canada could become America’s “51st state.” He also posted an AI-generated image online showing Canada as part of US territory.

US Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra warned that if Canada reduces planned purchases of F-35 fighter jets, the United States could be forced to increase its own deployments to cover security gaps, potentially requiring changes to the long-standing NORAD agreement.