Trudeau praises Biden, then takes jab at Trump: ‘US leadership has been sorely missed’

Biden said he was looking forward to working with Canada on a variety of issues, including "close coordination on a full range of issues [including] COVID-19, economic recovery, climate change, refugees and migration, fighting for our democratic values on the global stage, and strengthening our own democracies at home."

The prime minister has on several occasions already praised the Biden team for their work on climate change, and today's meeting was no exception.

Trudeau thanked Biden for "stepping up in such a big way" in tackling climate change. Trudeau had previously expressed approval over Biden's day-one decision to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, something the Trump administration vehemently opposed, saying the agreement would "undermine" the US economy, and put the US "at a permanent disadvantage."

"US leadership has been sorely missed over the past years, and I have to say, as we're preparing the joint rollout and communique from this one, it's nice the Americans are not pulling out all references to climate change and instead adding them in. So we're really excited to be working with you on that," said Trudeau.

Trudeau's approval of Biden's rejoining of the climate accord came at the same time as the president's announcement that the Keystone XL project—which would have created 60,000 well-paying jobs across the United States and Canada—would be cancelled.

Earlier today, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki revealed that Trudeau had "raised his concerns directly" with President Joe Biden regarding the cancellation of the Keystone XL Pipeline.

The president felt the project was not in the United States' best interests, as Psaki said that "the president was clear this is a commitment he made in the campaign."

Biden voiced his eagerness to work with Trudeau on Tuesday, however, saying: "As leaders of the major democracies, we have a responsibility to prove that democracy can still deliver for our people. There are a lot of leaders around the world who are trying to make the argument that autocracy works better."

"Equity for everybody, ensuring the benefits of growth are shared broadly, that's how we are going to win the battle for the future."