Canada and EU Launch New Alliance Covering Ukraine, Critical Minerals and AI
Canada and the EU launched a new alliance at a summit in Montreal amid strained ties with Washington, agreeing to deepen cooperation on critical minerals, artificial intelligence and digital trade. Canada will also join the EU’s €90 billion support loan for Ukraine with an initial €500 million ($558 million) contribution.
On Friday, October 30, Canada and the European Union (EU) unveiled a new alliance that aims to strengthen their relations amid President Donald Trump's efforts to sever US ties with old partners. Canada pledged to contribute €90 billion ($103 billion) to a support loan for Ukraine while deepening cooperation with Brussels across various areas, such as critical minerals and artificial intelligence.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, addressing a press conference, warned that the world is becoming more dangerous and divided due to eroding democratic norms and the weaponization of trade. He emphasized that Canada and the EU would anchor the ground to uphold shared values and provide a protective canopy for their citizens to thrive.
Canada and the EU, already sharing a free trade agreement, sought to deepen their ties since Trump's return to power. Both nations faced US tariffs and territorial threats, prompting them to forge a two-tier partnership in Montreal. The EU officially designated Canada as its first "associate member," a term opposed by Germany and a few other EU states. However, Carney reiterated that the substance of the partnership would be defined in the coming months.
In Brussels, the alliance was described as the nucleus of a larger "alliance for the future" open to other partners, focusing on enhancing collective sovereignty and resilience in areas such as AI, energy, critical minerals, and quantum technologies. The EU and Canada signed a digital trade deal and a separate pact allowing the European Investment Bank to back Canadian critical mineral projects, addressing Europe's reliance on China for these resources.
Cooperation on satellite connectivity and navigation, as well as artificial intelligence, was also highlighted. They aimed to join EU initiatives like the Erasmus program and the Galileo satellite program. Canada pledged to contribute an initial €500 million to the EU's 90-billion-euro support loan for Ukraine, underscoring its commitment to Kyiv during the ongoing war.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
