Canada Seeks European Defense and Economic Partnership Beyond the United States

On September 16, Canada announced that it had formally applied to join the British-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a rapid-response military coalition of ten NATO members: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The application was disclosed in a statement from Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office, which said the move reflects Ottawa’s intent to diversify defence ties away from the United States. Carney had earlier met British Prime Minister Andy Burnham in northern England, where the two leaders discussed deeper defence-industrial cooperation through the Global Combat Air Programme, a next-generation fighter-jet project that Canada joined as an observer in July 2026.

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In parallel with the JEF application, Canada is pursuing a “unique alliance” with the European Union (EU). European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told Carney that the EU wishes to open the door for Canada to become its first associate member, a relationship that would build on the existing Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Von der Leyen described the prospective partnership as rooted in shared democratic values and spanning advanced manufacturing, technology, defence production, the Arctic, energy, critical minerals, batteries, AI, quantum computing, cybersecurity and economic security.

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Canada’s pivot follows a period of heightened trade friction with the United States, including tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump and rhetoric about making Canada the “51st state.” Seeking to reduce economic and security dependence on its southern neighbour, Carney has emphasized Europe’s cultural, political and economic affinity with Canada.

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• Bilateral trade in goods and services reached €130.8 billion ($151 billion) in the most recent year, an increase of more than 80 % over the past decade (European Commission).

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• A poll by Abacus Data found 80 % of Canadians support deeper cooperation with the EU on foreign policy, defence and economic priorities, up 6 percentage points since February.

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• 56 % of respondents said Canada shares more in common with EU nations than with the United States, while 49 % would back Canada joining the EU outright.

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• “We share the same values, we have the same priorities, and we have very complementary strengths,” — Mark Carney, prime minister

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• “Wouldn’t it be lovely if Canada was the 28th state of the European Union rather than the 51st state of the United States?” — Alexander Stubb, including finland’s president

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Carney is scheduled to address the European Parliament in Strasbourg later this week, and the European Parliament announced plans to open a new antenna office in Ottawa to deepen political dialogue. Discussions on the associate-member framework, including potential visa-free travel and joint infrastructure projects, are expected to continue in bilateral meetings throughout the coming months.

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