Canada-EU alliance isn’t meant to be a US rival with ‘better manners,’ Carney says

By CNN Newsource

Published September 17, 2026 5:30 AM

By Hanna Ziady, CNN

London (CNN) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney took a swipe at US President Donald Trump on Thursday, insisting that his proposed new tie-up with the European Union isn’t intended simply to be a new geopolitical bloc with “better manners.”

“I’m not proposing a third bloc in order to become a great power rival, only with better manners,” he told EU lawmakers in France.

“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 territorial integrity or undermine our freedoms, our democracies, our rule of law.”

Carney’s comments come a day after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed that Canada become the bloc’s first “associate member,” provoking a fresh tariff threat from Trump.

– This is a developing story and will be updated.

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