Canada has signed a sweeping defence and security partnership with the European Union, signaling a drive to diversify alliances as tensions grow globally and as US leadership under Donald Trump becomes less predictable.
Prime Minister Mark Carney joined European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president António Costa in Brussels on Monday to formalise the pact, which covers areas from security and defence to climate policy and artificial intelligence. The leaders also pledged further support for Ukraine as Russia’s war grinds on.
Speaking at a joint press conference, Carney called Canada “the most European of the non-European countries,” noting that Ottawa looks to Europe “first to the European Union to build a better world.” Costa emphasized that the EU and Canada “see the world through the same lens” and “stand for the same values.”
Although Donald Trump was not explicitly mentioned, his resurgence on the international stage and past friction with traditional allies have underscored the need for like-minded countries to bolster ties. Trump is expected to attend this week’s NATO summit in The Hague, where alliance members will face pressure to spend 5% of GDP on defence.
Carney, who won a decisive election in April pledging to keep Canada independent of any political overtures to become America’s “51st state,” said he had a mandate to strengthen international partnerships “at a hinge moment of history.”
The new security agreement opens the door for Canada to participate in the EU’s €150 billion Safe Defence Fund. Von der Leyen noted that Canada would gain access to EU joint procurement programmes, especially in areas like air defence, cyber, maritime and space security.
Although Canada has long been a NATO under-spender—currently spending just 1.37% of GDP on defence—Carney stated the deal would allow Ottawa to “deliver on new capabilities more rapidly and effectively.”
Canada and the EU also already share a robust economic relationship anchored by the CETA trade pact, which eliminated 98% of tariffs when it was signed in 2016. However, full ratification is pending in 10 EU member states, including France, Belgium, and Italy.
Before the signing, Carney and his wife, Diana Fox Carney, paid respects at Schoonselhof military cemetery in Antwerp, where they laid wreaths at the graves of 348 Canadian soldiers who fought to liberate Europe in the Second World War. Belgium’s prime minister Bart De Wever accompanied them, and the last post was played by one of De Wever’s sons.