EU Offers Canada New Path Forward Amidst US Tensions
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has expressed his support for the European Union's proposal to create an associate membership status, which would deepen Canada's economic and security ties with Europe. In a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Carney stated that this new relationship would ensure no country could control Canada's markets or undermine its sovereignty.
The move comes as Canada seeks to reduce its dependence on the United States, which has defined Canada's economy for decades and has increasingly soured under President Trump. Carney noted that Ottawa has retaliated against US tariffs and rejected demands that threaten Canadian sovereignty.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had proposed making Canada the EU's first associate member, a status that would require creating new treaties and laws. The two sides are expected to discuss this proposal in more detail at a summit in Montreal on October 29-30.