Carney Says Canada and E.U. 'Are Not Fair Weather Allies' as Trump Threatens Europe Over 'Hostile Act'

U.S.

President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speak at the G7 summit in France on June 16, 2026. —Evelyn Hockstein—Getty Images Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday welcomed the prospect of Canada becoming an “associate member” of the E.U., just hours after U.S.

President Donald Trump dismissed the proposal as “laughable.” Addressing the European Parliament as a guest of honor in Strasbourg, France, Carney insisted “Europe and Canada are stronger together” and said “Canada and the European Union can anchor our ground to hold our values while forming a protective canopy under which our citizens can thrive.” Carney’s pivot toward Europe comes as he seeks to establish stronger international ties and curtail Canada’s reliance on the American market amid an all-out trade war .

Canada’s retaliatory tariffs came into effect last week, matching the economic pressure imposed by the U.S. after negotiations collapsed last month.

Trump’s repeated threats against Canadian sovereignty and calls to make it the “51st state” have added to the months-long tension.

While Carney did not directly mention Trump or his Administration while addressing European lawmakers, he appeared to make nods to the current volatility of Canada-U.S. relations and condemned economic coercions.

Speaking about the "current geopolitical rupture," he said a "new dimension was needed.” “Economic integration is now being weaponized, tariffs being used to exert pressure,” he said.

“Financial mechanisms have been used for coercion.

Supply chains constitute weak points to be exploited.” Championing the burgeoning E.U. alliance, Carney focused on what he said were shared values between Canada and the bloc, insisting: "We are not fair-weather allies.

We believe that our ​prosperity grows when ⁠it is shared." “I'm not proposing a third bloc in order to become a 'great power' rival, only with better manners,” Carney continued.

“We do not seek power to dominate others.

On the contrary, we are pursuing resilience so no one can control our open markets, impair our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity, or undermine our freedoms, our democracies, our rule of law.” Carney, who began his speech in French—one of Canada’s official languages—before continuing in English, with splatterings of German, welcomed how European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen had on Wednesday opened the door for Canada becoming an “associate member” of the 27-member bloc.