Amid escalating tensions between the US and Canada over tariffs, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has pitched a “new alliance” with Europe as a shield against outside pressures, during his speech to the European Parliament.
“Europe and Canada are stronger together,” Carney was quoted as saying by AFP, as he added that Canada welcomed the EU proposal and wanted deeper cooperation on issues from artificial intelligence to defence and energy.
Amid repeated threats from Trump against Canada’s sovereignty, Carney is seeking new alliances. This would include joint work on manufacturing, a tech alliance, integration of defence industrial bases, the Arctic, AI, energy and critical minerals.
Carney responded to US President Donald Trump’s threat to cut trade ties with the EU over its plans of alliance with Canada and said, “No one is going to dictate our culture, or with whom we can strike agreements internationally. Von der Leyen’s proposal drew an irritated rebuke from Trump, who slammed it as “laughable” and told reporters he could impose “very serious tariffs” or “stop trading with Europe” should it go ahead. Earlier this week, Carney said Canada was seeking a “unique alliance” with the EU but not membership. In her speech, von der Leyen said the two sides would create a “common prosperity and economic space”., Reuters reported.
