Canada has 'learned we are overdependent on the US'

Key Points:

• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized Canada's overdependence on the United States and expressed the need to diversify and deepen partnerships with like-minded countries, particularly the European Union.
• Carney discussed ongoing talks with EU leaders in Montreal about creating a new "associate membership" status for Canada, aiming for the closest possible partnership without full EU membership.
• He highlighted existing cooperation under agreements like CETA and programs such as Horizon Europe and Erasmus+, while identifying potential new areas of collaboration including space technologies, artificial intelligence, and critical minerals.
• Despite tensions with US President Donald Trump, Carney affirmed the strength of US-Canada ties and stressed the importance of direct and clear negotiations, while reinforcing the strategic need for Canada to broaden its international partnerships.
• Carney framed the EU talks as a positive step toward global problem-solving and cooperation, not as a move against the United States, acknowledging that the US remains Canada's largest and hardest-to-replace trading partner.