Carney and Macron deepen ties as Canada pivots toward Europe

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron deepened their strategic partnership on Sunday, covering space, defense, energy, and business, as Canada shifts toward Europe amid deteriorating relations with the United States. The leaders agreed to develop shared space and defense infrastructure, including launch systems and ground stations, and expand cooperation in energy, telecommunications, and climate resilience. Carney said deeper European ties would reduce Canada's vulnerability to economic coercion, while Macron called the visit a "historic moment" and backed Canada's potential EU associate membership. The meeting follows U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and repeated talk of making Canada the 51st state, which have pushed Ottawa to diversify its partnerships. Macron also sought Canadian liquefied natural gas to secure supplies amid the Iran war's disruption of global energy markets.