Canada and the European Union opened a new era of transatlantic co-operation Monday with the official signing of a security and defence partnership at a joint summit in Brussels.
The agreement commits Canada and Europe to collaborating on defence and is a step toward Canada participating in the continent’s massive new defence procurement program, known as ReArm Europe.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, who travelled to Brussels for the EU-Canada summit, is pursuing more options for defence procurement as Canada seeks to reduce its trade and security reliance on the United States.
“We are going to build trading relationships with like-minded partners, reliable partners,” Carney told a news conference after the summit. “The future of trade does have this defence co-operation,” Carney added, saying that some NATO allies are pursuing “an allied industrial policy that will make us stronger. That’s the future of the trade, not a narrow discussion on tariffs.”
On trade talks with the U.S., Carney said he’s focused on getting the “right deal” during the 30-day negotiating window.
Following the recent G7 summit, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed a continued fondness for tariffs while acknowledging Carney has a “different concept” of trade. Carney ducked a question during Monday’s press conference about whether he feels more comfortable in Brussels than in Washington D.C. The prime minister talked about the hot, humid weather in Washington right now and joked that he’s “sure the dinner will be better” in Brussels…
Source: globalnews.ca/news
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
