EU and Canada to seal broader, deeper alliance in Trump's long shadow

Key Points:

• The EU and Canada are set to deepen their partnership at the upcoming summit in Montréal, aiming to expand cooperation across trade, investment, AI, climate, security, and Arctic issues, reflecting a strategic shift away from reliance on the US under Trump.
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed making Canada the EU's first-ever "associate member," signaling a new level of integration and alliance, though Germany pushed to soften this terminology to "ever closer association" in the summit's final declaration.
• The summit will address critical topics such as securing raw materials and liquefied natural gas from Canada to reduce EU dependency on China, and coordinating financial support for Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.
• High-level EU representation, including von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, and nine Commissioners, underscores the institutional significance of the new EU-Canada alliance, with plans for closer governmental and parliamentary collaboration.
• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized building a resilient alliance "strong enough so that no one can dictate our choices," directly countering Trump's "America First" policies, and supporting a partnership that could evolve without full EU accession.