EU and Canada strengthen ties with security pact

The European Union and Canada have solidified their partnership, signing a security and defense agreement in Brussels on Monday. This move is seen as a response to the current strained relations with the United States. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and EU leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa, attended the summit. The agreement opens Canadian companies to EU arms procurement programs and initiates negotiations for a digital and tech deal. The new pact, the first of its kind between the EU and a North American country, comes amid trade tensions and critical rhetoric from the US. The EU and Canada already share a trade agreement, CETA, in effect since 2017.