Mark Carney tries to soothe US fears in EU speech after move to become member

Brady KnoxSeptember 17, 2026

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed U.S. concerns regarding his outreach to the European Union by promising that a proposed new partnership would not harm American interests. He presented his vision for a pioneering alliance with the EU in a speech to the European Parliament, following a similar introduction by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The initiative appears partly aimed at countering U.S. influence, especially given the strained relationships under President Donald Trump. Carney emphasized that the alliance would ultimately benefit the United States as well.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney tried to soothe U.S. fears over his overtures toward the European Union, pledging that a planned new partnership wouldn’t be detrimental to the United States.

Carney outlined his vision for the planned first-of-its-kind alliance with the EU in a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Thursday, a day after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen introduced the concept in her own speech. The obvious subtext to the push is a mutual desire to counter U.S. influence, after the pair’s respective relationships with the U.S. have soured under President Donald Trump. Carney focused on tempering U.S. resistance to the move, arguing that it would ultimately benefit the U.S. as well.