Canada and the European Union are pursuing closer ties during a summit in Montreal. Prime Minister Mark Carney, who described Canada as the most European of non-European countries, is seeking to reduce the nation's reliance on the United States amidst President Donald Trump's trade war.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen advocated for Canada to receive a special status as an associate member. However, this language was rejected by EU member states, including Germany, with Chancellor Merz and other leaders pushing for the terms to be removed from the draft statement.
While the proposal for associate EU membership was dropped in a joint declaration, von der Leyen stated that the EU still seeks association without accession. This pursuit of closer ties comes despite warnings from President Trump, who suggested such an arrangement could be a hostile act and threatened tariffs on Europe if he considered it unfriendly.