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Canada pushes for EU associate membership... seeking alternatives through expanded cooperation amidst distrust of the US
Attention on whether this will be a signal for full-fledged cooperation among middle powers... Trump issues strong warning amidst sense of crisis
As Canada and the European Union (EU) deepen their ties to an unprecedented level, US President Donald Trump is reportedly very wary of the situation.
It seems that this is due to concerns that as Canada and the EU unite under a consensus that the US can no longer be trusted, the atmosphere for strengthening cooperation among middle powers in the international community could intensify. Immediately, President Trump threatened Europe with high tariffs and trade suspension.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on the 17th (local time), stated, "Canada and Europe are stronger together," and expressed a positive stance on the possibility of Canada joining the EU as an associate member.
Prime Minister Carney also said that this plan would help protect national sovereignty and freedom amidst a 'raging storm'. This appears to be a criticism of the Trump administration's unilateral actions, likening them to a raging storm.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, also confirmed her intention to elevate the closeness with Canada to the highest level, stating in her annual policy speech to the European Parliament the day before, "We want to open the door together so that Canada can become the EU's first associate member."
Canada, geographically located on the North American continent and far from the European continent, has brought up the EU associate membership card because the relationship between the US and Canada has deteriorated to its worst due to President Trump's unilateral imposition of tariffs.
Canada has maintained the highest level of cooperation with the US in virtually all areas, including security and economy, but now there is a fundamental skepticism about whether the US can be trusted.
Even if the US government changes, it is unclear whether the relationship can return to its former state, and there is no guarantee that the US will not revert to 'Trump-style foreign policy'.
The EU, too, facing President Trump who constantly presents bills with the perception that 'sometimes allies are worse than enemies', keenly feels the need to secure stability and a voice through new forms of alliances.
Of course, both the EU and Canada are 'security communities of shared destiny' bound with the US by NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), so they cannot completely distance themselves from the US.
However, the discussion of Canada's EU associate membership can be seen as a symbolic event where the search for new cooperation to fill the void caused by distrust of the US has materialized.
This move also aligns with the 'middle power solidarity' advocated by Prime Minister Carney at the Davos Forum in Switzerland earlier this year.
At that time, Prime Minister Carney earnestly urged joint action by middle powers, stating that middle powers like Canada could no longer guarantee security through mere acquiescence to reality, and an unusual scene unfolded where the audience gave a standing ovation.
The US daily New York Times (NYT) pointed out, "Even if the discussion of Canada's EU associate membership is more symbolic than substantive, it shows that President Trump is shaking international relations in a way that is difficult to reverse."
President Trump is reacting sensitively. It seems that a sense of crisis that the discussion of Canada's EU associate membership could trigger an expansion of cooperation among middle powers is at play.
President Trump dismissed the possibility of Canada becoming an EU associate member the day before, saying, "I don't think that's going to happen," and warned, "If they do that and I consider it a hostile act, I will impose very high tariffs or stop trade with Europe on many items."
He is effectively blocking Canada's EU associate membership by threatening Europe with high tariffs and trade suspension.
Whether Canada's EU associate membership will materialize is uncertain. With no concrete definition of the meaning and role of an associate member, it is unclear whether EU member states will unanimously approve, and there is also a backlash in Canada, primarily from the opposition.
The Trump administration is wary of increased cooperation among middle powers. Elbridge Colby, former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development, visited the Philippines in August and strongly warned, "I recommend abandoning the delusion of superficial and trendy ideas like middle power alliances designed to exclude the United States."
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