Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is hosting European leaders in Montreal to strengthen trade, energy, technology and defense ties between Canada and the European Union amid tensions with the Trump administration. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed that Canada become the EU’s first ‘associate member’, an arrangement without accession that is facing opposition from several member states, including France and Germany. The summit is expected to launch an ‘Alliance for the Future’, while an agreement is due to be announced giving Canadian companies access to Europe’s network of 12 advanced supercomputers. Canada is already the only non-European country participating in the EU’s 150-billion-euro SAFE defense procurement program, although cooperation could be constrained by strict European manufacturing rules; the broader partnership is intended to diversify supply chains and reduce Canada’s dependence on the United States, which accounted for 71.7% of Canadian merchandise exports in 2025.
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