Canada Seeks Defense Ties and Deals With Europe as US Pulls Back
- Ambassador’s letter says Canada sees ‘urgency’ to EU alliance
- Canada touts reserves of critical minerals needed for defense
The F-39 Gripen fighter jet.
Photographer: Victor Moriyama/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Canada has floated doing major defense deals with Europe and improving the continent’s access to its critical minerals in response to President Donald Trump’s threats and his pullback from US defense commitments.
Canada is seeking closer defense industry cooperation with Italy and the European Union as “a matter of urgency,” Elissa Golberg, its ambassador in Rome, wrote to Italy’s finance, foreign affairs, defense and enterprise ministers on Monday. That was the same day new Prime Minister Mark Carney visited France and the UK for talks with allies in his first foreign trip since being sworn in as Canada’s new leader on March 14.