Canada welcomes EU proposal to become 'associate member'

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has welcomed the European Union's proposal for Canada to become its first "associate member," calling for closer cooperation on defence, critical minerals, and energy security as democracies face geopolitical challenges. The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from US President Donald Trump, who called it "laughable" and threatened severe tariffs on Europe if he views the move as hostile, amid escalating trade tensions between Canada and the United States. Carney emphasized that the Canada-EU alliance aims to strengthen democratic sovereignty rather than create a rival power bloc competing with the US.