Canada: International relations, defense and foreign policy December 2024-

G7 Canada 2025
Canada – U.S. November 2024-7 February 2025
Canada – U.S. 10 February 2025-

Carney lays out Canada’s G7 summit priorities
PM pushing for agreements and action on peace, energy security and new partnerships
…Carney said Canada will “seek agreements and co-ordinated action” on three core missions.
The first is protecting Canadian communities and the world by strengthening peace and security, countering foreign interference as well as transnational crime and improving joint responses to wildfires.
The second is “building energy security and accelerating the digital transition” through fortifying critical mineral supply chains and using artificial intelligence to boost economic growth.
Finally, Carney said Canada will push to secure new partnerships that will catalyze “enormous private investment to build stronger infrastructure, create higher-paying jobs and open dynamic markets where businesses can compete and succeed.” – CBC, 8 June

28 October
Scolded by Trump, Canada’s Prime Minister Turns to Asia for Trade
Mark Carney is pitching Canada as a predictable and responsible alternative to the United States.
(NYT) Now, with relations with the United States at one of their lowest points, Mr. Carney is under pressure to show he has a plan to move Canada away from its long-established economic dependence on its neighbor, and he is banking on Asia to help.
But that carries its own risks. Mr. Carney said he planned to meet this week in South Korea with China’s top leader, hoping to reset a caustic relationship, end a trade dispute and restore closer ties. Faced with a trade war with the United States, Canada’s biggest trading partner, Mr. Carney has set an ambitious goal of doubling Canadian exports to other countries within a decade. Expanding trade with Asia is central to Mr. Carney’s strategy.

24 October
Prime Minister Carney’s first trip to Asia starts this week with ASEAN, APEC summits
Prime Minister Mark Carney left Canada Friday morning on his first trip to Asia since taking office — part of his government’s efforts to build stronger trade and diplomatic ties with a region that’s feeling increasingly squeezed between the U.S. and China.
Carney will attend summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, better known as ASEAN, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, or APEC.
… “I’m looking forward to seeing the president at APEC in Korea, but we’re going to be seeing lots of other countries, and you know, one of our core elements of our strategy is diversifying trade,” he told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday.
In a speech in Ottawa on Wednesday, Carney said his goal is to double Canada’s exports to non-U.S. nations over the next decade.
Canada has been pushing for more engagement with the Indo-Pacific region in the last several years, and especially since the launch of its regional strategy in late 2022.
Carney’s nine-day trip begins with the ASEAN summit in Malaysia — an event that Canadian prime ministers traditionally have been invited to attend, even though Canada is not a member.
Ottawa is negotiating a trade deal with the 10-nation bloc. The deal originally was set to be finalized this year; both sides are now looking to sign a deal early in the new year. A trade deal with ASEAN member Indonesia was finalized just last month.
Goldy Hyder, president and CEO of the Business Council of Canada, is leading a delegation of Canadian businesses to the region in tandem with Carney’s visit.
The ASEAN nations are “really keen to have Japan, Australia, the European Union, India and Canada in the room as strategic partners to engage with the region,” [Vina Nadjibulla, vice-president of the Asia Pacific Foundation] said.
Carney is also set to travel to Singapore, where he has meetings planned with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and with business leaders.

2 October
Calls during UNGA to investigate thousands of Ukrainian children being forcibly transferred to Russia
(The World) Canada organized a summit at this year’s UN General Assembly to address the thousands of Ukrainian children who have been forcibly transferred to Russia over the past several years.  …
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in a summit at the UN organized by Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney laid out the need for the conference.
“Putin has stolen Ukrainian children,” Carney said. “Thousands of children have been abducted by Russia. Russia has repeatedly targeted the most vulnerable groups of children, including orphans, children with disabilities, children from poor families.”
23 September
Ukraine and Canada Organized the Leaders’ Summit of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children in New York
On the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, the Leaders’ Summit of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children was held, co-chaired by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney. …
Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney urged partners to intensify sanctions pressure on Russia and to work together to ensure a reliable peace, including within the Coalition of the Willing.
“But that peace will only be peace if the children are reunited with their families and their homeland. And we will work tirelessly until this happens,” Mark Carney stressed.
First Lady of Canada Diana Fox Carney underlined that her country would make every effort to ensure Ukrainian children return home.
“Together with our partners, Canada will never abandon its mission until we achieve our goal,” she said.

1 October
Carney names ‘personal’ EU envoy, looks to replace Dion as ambassador to France
(Canadian Press) Prime Minister Mark Carney is replacing Canada’s special envoy to Europe with a “personal representative” to the European Union.
John Hannaford, a former diplomat who also served as the highest-ranking official in the public service, will take up the role.
His job will involve boosting trade and investment with EU countries and working to strengthen security ties, Carney’s office said.
Hannaford is replacing former federal Liberal leader Stephane Dion, who is currently Canada’s ambassador to France and the special envoy to the EU and Europe.
Dion will leave his leave his post in Paris in January, while the position of Canada’s ambassador to the European Union has been vacant for months.

28 September
What is being accomplished on PM Carney’s trips abroad?
Chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton speaks with Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand about her appearance at the recent UN General Assembly and Canada’s push to strengthen international relationships. Plus, former Ukrainian prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk reflects on Canada’s diplomacy at the UNGA and support for Ukraine. On the Sunday Scrum, Managing Editor of The Hill Times Charelle Evelyn, Queen’s Park Bureau Chief for the Toronto Star Robert Benzie and Alberta Correspondent for the National Post Tyler Dawson discuss political pressures at home amid a stark financial forecast from the Parliamentary Budget Officer.
26 September
Carney works to strengthen ties with allies at U.K. summit
At the Global Progress Action Summit in London, Prime Minister Mark Carney met with allies to strengthen trade and security ties as U.S. tensions grow.
‘That’s my job’: Bob Rae on why he didn’t walk out on Netanyahu speech at UN
(CTV) “My job is to listen to other people,” Rae told Kapelos. “In many cases, listen to people I don’t agree with. I’ve listened to, I don’t know, (Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey) Lavrov, I’ve listened to the Russian Ambassador on Ukraine. I don’t agree with a word he says, but I listen to him, and I think that’s part of what diplomacy is all about.”
“I also think it’s good practice, and I don’t think we’re going to engage in a performative gesture at this point,” he added. “I think it’s important for us to try to figure out, what are the solutions and how can we get there”

23 September
Carney pays tribute to outgoing UN ambassador Bob Rae (video)
Prime Minister Mark Carney closed out his remarks at a news conference on Tuesday by paying tribute to outgoing UN ambassador Bob Rae, calling him a ‘steady hand’ and ‘so often Canada’s voice of conscience and conviction.’
Carney sees possibilities for Canada at UN General Assembly
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada can find opportunities in crisis after attending this week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York — where U.S. President Donald Trump used his podium time to question the institution’s purpose.
“In every moment where there’s a crack, where there’s a rupture, there is possibility — and it’s our responsibility, it’s our opportunity as Canada in this moment to find it,” Carney told media outlets Tuesday evening.
“And after my visit to the United Nations General Assembly, I can assure Canadians that there is light, there are many possibilities.”

21-22 September
During New York visit, Carney says Canada ‘has what the world wants’ at a critical time
Remarks come as Canada joins other allies in recognizing Palestinian statehood
Addressing the Council on Foreign Relations think-tank before attending the UN General Assembly, Carney said Canada has the resources, talent and ingenuity the world needs in a time of political and economic turbulence.
“This is not a transition. This is a rupture,” he said. “This is a sharp change in a short period of time, driven by a variety of factors. We have a determination to rise up and meet this.”
Carney defends decision to recognize Palestinian statehood in UN speech
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government says it is prepared to take part in a ‘large scale’ delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip as part of a peace plan for Palestine.
(Globe & Mail) Mr. Carney spoke Monday at a United Nations conference in New York aimed at salvaging a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a day after Canada joined Britain, Australia and Portugal in officially recognizing Palestine as a state.
Canada first G7 nation to recognise Palestinian state
(BBC) Canada became the first G7 nation to recognise a Palestinian state, with Prime Minister Mark Carney saying on Sunday the country “offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future”.
Statement by Prime Minister Carney on Canada’s recognition of the State of Palestine

18 September
Canada, Mexico agree to deepen ties in face of Trump’s turbulent 2nd term
New partnership comes as the North American trade deal is soon up for review
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to deepen ties between their two countries as both grapple with the uncertainty of a second Donald Trump presidency in the U.S.
Former justice minister David Lametti named Canada’s UN ambassador
Lametti had been serving in PMO as Carney’s principal secretary
(CBC) “Canada’s new government has a mandate to strengthen and diversify our international partnerships, relying on principled and effective leaders to represent the value of Canada’s strength in a rapidly transforming world,” Carney said in a statement announcing the appointment on Thursday.
Lametti will replace Canada’s outgoing UN representative, Bob Rae, on Nov. 17.
Rae congratulated Lametti in a social media post and indicated that he had spoken to Carney earlier this summer about leaving his post.

16 September
Freeland to leave cabinet, become Canada’s special representative for Ukraine
Chrystia Freeland, who is of Ukrainian descent and speaks the language fluently, will remain an MP for at least six months
(Globe & Mail) Chrystia Freeland says she is leaving her cabinet post as Transport and Internal Trade Minister to serve as Canada’s Special Representative for the Reconstruction of Ukraine.
Ms. Freeland met separately Monday with Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Chief of Staff Marc-André Blanchard to discuss her future plans.
The Prime Minister said in a statement that Ms. Freeland served the country with great distinction.
“As a former G7 minister of Finance, Foreign Affairs and International Trade with deep relationships and understanding of Ukraine and its economy, Chrystia is truly uniquely positioned for this timely and essential work towards a better future for Ukrainians and peace in Europe,” he said.

26-27 August
Timing is everything as Carney visits Europe – again
European countries, such as Canada, are ramping up military spending and looking for new trade partners.
That’s why Mr. Carney’s high-profile trip to Ukraine, amid Mr. Trump’s stalled peace efforts, hit a different note than even his predecessor Justin Trudeau’s travels there. It’s why Mr. Carney’s tour of a ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems shipyard, after he announced the German company as a finalist in the bidding to supply submarines to Canada, sent a message.
Submarines, critical minerals in focus as Carney talks closer ties in Germany
The Prime Minister was in Europe looking for trade and investment, talking about critical minerals and energy while in Germany, the continent’s largest economy. He’s been touting the idea that Canada and Europe can join forces in defence-industry trade. And that shipyard tour was a symbol that there could be something in it for Germany.
There was a stop in Poland, the fast-growing economic success of Eastern Europe, to sign a defence and energy partnership with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and to announce that Canada will be the showcase country at a defence-industry expo in Poland next year.
Those are efforts to make room for Canada as Europe reorganizes its own trade relationships, and to pry open space for Canadian industry as European nations embark on a military buildup. Poland’s defence budget, for example, went up by 31 per cent this year.
Carney wraps European tour with visit to Canadian Forces in Latvia
Canada’s military operation in Latvia will be extended by three years, Carney says

24 August
Carney talks security guarantees with Zelenskyy in Kyiv, reiterates possibly providing Canadian troops
Canada’s PM delivers speech at Ukraine’s Independence Day celebrations
(CBC) With the prospects for peace appearing as distant as ever — despite attempts by the Trump administration to broker a settlement in the war between Ukraine and Russia — Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday unveiled details of Canada’s $2 billion in additional military aid.
Carney also publicly committed to reintroducing troops to the war-torn country in some capacity should there ever be a ceasefire.
It’s Carney’s first official visit to the war-torn country. He met with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a time when the prospects for peace appear as distant as ever despite attempts by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to broker a Ukraine-Russia settlement.
In a speech in historic Sophia Square in Kyiv on Ukraine’s Independence Day, Carney said more than $1 billion of the aid package will be used to finance the purchase of high-priority equipment from the United States, through NATO, as well as ammunition, and advance drone and armoured vehicle production from Canadian suppliers.
Another $220 million will be set aside to purchase drone, counter-drone, and electronic warfare capabilities, which will include investments in joint ventures between Ukrainian and Canadian industry. The two countries signed a Letter of Intent on Canada-Ukraine Joint Production of Defence Material.

23 August
A look at Mark Carney’s priorities as he visits Poland, Germany and Latvia
Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Europe this week, where he will spend the first part of next week meeting with political and business leaders to discuss a broad range of both economic and security issues.
Carney will spend a day each in Poland, Germany and Latvia beginning on Monday.
He will be accompanied by Defence Minister David McGuinty and they will be visiting with Canadian Armed Forces personnel who are stationed in Poland and Latvia.
Poland is Europe’s fastest-growing economy and while Carney is there, he is expected to sign a strategic partnership on energy and security.
In Germany on Tuesday, Carney will meet with business leaders who have a particular focus on critical minerals.
Carney’s trip builds on work done at two summits held in June, the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta and the Canada-E.U. Summit in Brussels.
Government officials travelling with the Prime Minister have told reporters that bringing Canada and Europe closer together is a top priority for the Carney government.

22 August
Don’t lose sight of the other global crisis point: The South China Sea
China’s aggressive maritime tactics could pose a threat to regional security, global biodiversity, food security, and maritime supply chains in one of the world’s most productive fishing zones.
Jonathan Berkshire Miller, co-founder and principal of Pendulum Geopolitical Advisory
(Globe & Mail) … Canada has demonstrated growing interest in the Indo-Pacific, and is now three years into the implementation of a regional strategy there. Fisheries enforcement, surveillance technology and conservation science are areas of expertise for Canada. Ottawa should continue to actively partner with the Philippines and Vietnam to detect and deter illegal, unregulated and destructive fishing, including maritime militia activity. Coastal monitoring systems, vessel-track sharing and dark-vessel detection technologies are also ready-made domains for Canadian support.
Further steps include deepening defence engagement, which should complement diplomacy through groups like the ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership and ad hoc coalitions of maritime democracies. On the regulatory front, Canada should champion toughened rules against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and support transparency initiatives in naval and coast guard operations.
Canada’s sustained involvement would deliver a dual advantage: supporting Southeast Asia at a vulnerable juncture, while underscoring its own commitment to upholding international law and the maritime commons. After all, if Beijing succeeds in stamping its authority on the South China Sea, the move will embolden it elsewhere, from the Arctic to cyberspace.

20 August
Minister Anand concludes successful visit to Finland to strengthen partnerships between Canada and Nordic countries
(Global Affairs) The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs…met with Elina Valtonen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, and announced the establishment of a Canada-Finland strategic partnership on foreign and security policy. This initiative reflects the two countries’ commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation and advancing joint efforts in transatlantic security, cyber resilience, multilateralism, democracy, climate action, open trade and promoting shared values in the North Atlantic regions. Minister Anand also held a high-level meeting with Alexander Stubb, President of Finland, during which they discussed increased Canada-Finland cooperation.
In addition, Minister Anand visited Helsinki Shipyard with Ville Tavio, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development of Finland, to highlight Canada and Finland’s joint efforts to boost Arctic capabilities, strengthen regional security and safeguard the Arctic through innovation and strategic cooperation.
During her visit, Minister Anand also met with counterparts from the “Nordic Five”—Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland—to discuss transatlantic security, support for Ukraine and economic cooperation. She met with Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark, and Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, focusing on enhancing bilateral cooperation between Canada and Denmark and Canada and Sweden, as well as regional security and NATO engagement.
Canada and Finland joint statement on foreign and security policy strategic partnership

11 August
Carney, Zelenskyy talk as world leaders prepare for Trump-Putin summit on Ukraine war
PM Mark Carney: I spoke with President Zelenskyy today. We agreed that decisions on the future of Ukraine must be made by Ukrainians, that international borders cannot be changed by force, and that diplomatic engagement must be reinforced by continued pressure on Russia to end its aggression. We also underscored the need for robust and credible security to enable Ukraine to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
As negotiations work toward securing a just and lasting peace, Canada’s support for Ukraine is steadfast.

23 July
Shipbuilding, aerospace to be priorities in federal strategy to transform defence sector, Joly says
Federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly says aerospace and shipbuilding are areas where Canada can excel as the government prepares its Defence Industrial Strategy, which aims to transform the country’s status as a laggard to a leader in the sector. … Through military investment, Ms. Joly said she’d like to see Canada’s aerospace sector rebuilt into something that resembles former versions of itself – such as in the 1950s, when the country was known for its Avro Arrow program. She’d also like to see the country’s shipyards become an export market for the rest of the world.

Canada’s remarkable joint statement on the suffering in Gaza is a good first step
Lloyd Axworthy and Allan Rock
Canada has now joined 25 Western nations in issuing a joint statement on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, condemning the “drip feeding of aid” and the “inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.” The statement declared that “the Israeli government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable,” and urged Israel to “comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law.” The statement is remarkable in its directness, evidence that much of the international community is no longer willing to be mere bystanders as the suffering in Gaza continues.
21 July
Canada, 24 other nations urge Israel to end war in Gaza, condemn ‘drip feeding of aid’
Twenty-five countries, including Canada and many European Union member states, issued a joint statement on Monday urging Israel to immediately end its war in Gaza.
It is the latest indictment of the war, and perhaps the broadest yet, by countries viewed as Israel’s partners and allies. The criticism is aimed particularly at Israel’s approach to providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians who are desperately in need.
The letter from the countries’ foreign ministers says that the “suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths.”
“The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. We condemn the drip-feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food,” it says.

14 July
Diplomatic depletion?
(iPolitics) Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cuts to government spending will include the foreign service, just as Global Affairs Canada aims to expand its presence abroad.
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne sent letters to ministers on Monday asking them to find savings of 7.5 per cent in their budgets starting next spring.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says that will include Global Affairs Canada, adding that it is necessary to cut what she calls red tape and inefficiencies.
Anand would not speculate on what those cuts will look like, but her comments come as the U.S. State Department lays offs more than 1,300 employees.
Sen. Peter Boehm is a former ambassador, and he says he hopes the government thinks hard about Canada’s place in the world when it looks at constraining Global Affairs Canada’s budget.

9 July
Canada’s Evolving Place in a Perilous World
Jeremy Kinsman
(Policy) Trump’s former National Security Adviser told Fareed Zakaria that Trump’s mind is like “an archipelago of a million dots.” He can’t connect them into a coherent plan beyond transactional deals, and nor can anyone else.
His MAGA movement stands for whatever he decides. But it is upending geopolitical, economic, and even ideological relationships and realities. Trump associates openly support ultra-right illiberal political parties opposing the leadership of European democracies.
There is therefore a kind of notion of an isolationist, nationalist, and yet expansionist America that propels Trump and his movement, and it is adversarial to Canadian sovereignty, to say the least. …
“Finlandization,” however worthy it was for the Finns, is not enough now for Canada. We have to connect to like-minded partners and be a protagonist in the redemption of multilateral protections for the world’s climate, commerce, and efforts to deter conflict. “Elbows Up” is not just a domestic nostrum.
We need project partnerships to dilute our dependence on an unpredictable US, and we need to deal with India and China on objective, rules-based terms.
We need to stand up for what is right. Open a consulate in Nuuk, Greenland as a useful demonstration of solidarity. Partner with the Nordic-Baltic 9 in building protected Arctic corridors. Press for infrastructure projects with the EU and others. Build our offshore asset portfolio.
The US won’t be what it was to Canadians. The old world order is behind us. We should make sure that our position in North America including Mexico is beneficial, and our active presence in the changing world is up to our ideals and expectations.

26 June
On Being Canadian: Who Are We Now?
Jeremy Kinsman
(Policy) The attachment Canadians feel for their country seems more emphatic than in years. We can predict Canada Day 2025 will be a celebration of ourselves as vibrant as Canada Day in 1967. We know why — because the President of the United States has threatened Canada as a country.
An existential threat — no matter the true motive or ultimate probability — can provide the certainty of knowing who we are not. Negative identity can help define the sense of self as much as positive does among the multiple identities Canadians carry.
… When I arrived in Brussels in 2002 as ambassador to the European Union, EU Commission President Romano Prodi, formerly Prime Minister of Italy (and a great friend of M. Chrétien) announced Canada’s inclusion as one of the EU’s six “strategic partners” (along with the US, China, Russia, India and Japan). He cited Canada’s advocacy of the Kyoto climate protocol, and initiatives to mobilize human security and sustainable development, observing too Canada’s exemplary model of pluralism and inclusion.
More recently, Canadian tourists, diplomats, and business people working abroad have heard the repeated question from many foreign friends, “What’s happened to Canada?”
We went inward. As my fellow Policy contributor Colin Robertson wrote recently, the notion the “world needs more Canada” has been supplanted by the reality that Canada “needs more world.”
[Canada Needs More World: Mark Carney’s Summitry Launch]
… While living in Europe since the Canadian election writ was dropped on March 28, I have seen Canada ascend to heights never seen before in media coverage and public attention — largely because of Mark Carney’s prior record of competent leadership, current defiance of President Trump’s declared presumptions about Canada, and ability nonetheless to work out a functional relationship with him.
Just this week, Prime Minister Carney entered a new security and economic framework with our European allies in order to hedge our over-dependence on the US and help kick-start Canadian growth. As Carney himself said, Canada is the most European of non-European countries; one more way among the many to accurately describe our national identity.
Given the dearth today of eminently successful leaders in the democratic world, Carney’s ambitions for Canada are striking others with a touch of envy. We should hold our breath, but nonetheless enjoy the moment on Canada Day.

24 June
Carney says Canada will meet new NATO spending target by developing critical minerals (Update 16:30)
(CTV) Canada will reach an even higher NATO spending target in part by developing its critical minerals and the infrastructure needed to get them to market, Prime Minister Mark Carney said as the annual leaders’ summit of alliance members got underway in the Netherlands.
Carney is in The Hague for the NATO leaders’ summit, and made the comments in a pre-summit interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that aired on Tuesday.

23 June
Canada signs deal deepening European defence and security partnership
Prime Minister Carney met with EU members in Brussels
Carney makes deal with EU ahead of NATO summit | Power & Politics @0:48
…retired vice-admiral Mark Norman evaluates how much the security pact that Canada and the European Union signed Monday can bolster Canada’s defence industry, and the message it sends to Washington about Canada’s push to be less reliant on the U.S.
Canada and E.U. Pull Together as America Pushes Them Away
The European Union and Canada struck a defense agreement on Monday, a step toward closer military cooperation as relations with the United States have soured.

18 June
Eric Ham: At G7 summit, Trump got the spotlight, but it’s Carney that got the win
(CTV) … Carney has astutely navigated the treacherous political environment confronting a bellicose leader intent on overtaking Canadian sovereignty. In addition to scoring a major win on a potential trade agreement the confab of advanced nations were equally successful getting President Trump to agree on a joint statement calling for de-escalation in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.
Now, Kananaskis was always more than a meeting place of global leaders. Prime Minister Carney saw it as the destination to launch Canada to the forefront, geopolitically. Resetting fraught relations and ties with India to re-shaping a deteriorating bond with the United States. Carney campaigned on an ethos of Canada as the centre of the universe.
Canada-EU Summit 2025: A Next-Level Strategic Partnership
By Mark Camilleri
(Policy) On June 23rd, leaders from Canada and the European Union will meet in Brussels. This meeting, wedged between the higher-profile G7 and NATO summits taking place only a week apart, is unlikely to be the routine, stock-taking exercise that has defined many bilateral summits in recent years.

17 June
The 2025 ASEAN Summit Creates an Opportunity for Canada
Tricia Yeoh: Senior Fellow, APF Canada; Associate Professor of Practice, University of Nottingham
The recent ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — held against the backdrop of rising U.S. protectionism and U.S. President Donald Trump’s second-term tariffs — was an opportunity for Southeast Asian nations to coalesce and deepen their existing trade and economic ties.
The theme of Malaysia’s 2025 ASEAN chairmanship is ‘inclusivity and sustainability,’ with an emphasis on ASEAN centrality and economic integration. At their May 26–27 Summit, ASEAN leaders adopted and signed the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future, a 20-year roadmap to guide the bloc in navigating global ‘megatrends’ while reinforcing its role as a community.
Canada must stop neglecting its spy agencies if it wants better defence
By Matthew A. MacDonald
(Montreal Gazette – Opinion) Prime Minister Mark Carney has pledged to meet Canada’s NATO obligation to invest two per cent of GDP in defence by the end of the year. But at a time of growing political instability, it’s important to remember that soldiers are not the only ones protecting Canada.
Working in the shadows, Canada has a civilian army of more than 6,400 intelligence practitioners in the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Communications Security Establishment working around the clock to keep us safe. …despite the vital role they play, their budgets are not included in NATO’s calculation of Canada’s defence spending.
… Carney has taken a series of steps that suggest he genuinely wants to position Canada as a credible superpower. To what extent that’s achievable remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: Genuine superpowers don’t invest just because it looks good, but because it makes a real difference. Which means Canada, if it wants to be a superpower — or even just defend itself — can’t afford to neglect its military or its intelligence services any longer, whether NATO counts it or not.

12 June
War and Peace, 2025: Canada, NATO, and a Rogue America
Jeremy Kinsman
(Policy) Having begun to explore whether accommodation is possible with the US on bilateral issues, Carney will participate in three major summits in the last two weeks of June — the Kananaskis G7 (June 15-17), the Canada-EU meetings in Brussels (June 23), and the NATO summit in The Hague (June 24-26).
The Canadian Prime Minister’s summit role is unusually prominent, chairing the G7, being the key strategic partner in both trade and defence realignments at the Canada-EU Summit, and then being seen as something of a reformed free-rider with NATO colleagues
… Under Donald Trump, the US has gone rogue, not only regarding its institutions and arrangements with allies, but in its abandonment of the values, ideals and dependable motives that made it a soft-power superpower for more than a century, as well as the shared affinities that defined its foreign attachments.
G7 and NATO allies are agitated by growing evidence that Russia and China (and various other rogue actors) believe they can act with impunity from weakened international institutions and councils. But they are mostly agitated by the actions and attitudes of their long-standing American partner, who suddenly hews more closely to that autocratic model than to its 250-year history as a democracy.
… The fact is that the Trump administration is advancing a different worldview than America’s democratic allies, perhaps toward new geopolitical groupings around three dominant spheres of influence: the US in the Americas, China in Asia, and Russia in Eurasia. This is obviously anathema to US allies from Europe, Japan, and especially Canada.
That is why the Canada-EU Summit is so important. Carney’s outline of new defence investments and intentions, in cyber, AI, in modern capital equipment renewal, in joint procurement and defence infrastructure, and in shared projects, including especially in the centrally emphasized Arctic, are all of direct interest to EU strategic partners. Carney intends to advance Canada’s participation in the EU’s ReArm Europe program. Separate discussions are ongoing on participation in Germany and Norway’s joint program to build a dozen submarines. Australia is already a partner on Arctic early warning systems. Canada should engage the Danes and other Arctic Council Europeans, on security of Arctic passages through Canadian waters to Greenland.
Though Canadians regret the US threats to Canada, some believe we can’t deny the logic of our geography, and lean to accommodation to US demands, short of absorption. But our geography has variable opportunities, notably closer integration with Europe, not just on defence projects, but on strategic geoeconomics. We shall always be geographically compelled to valourize and nurture our prime US relationship, but the events of recent months hold out the opportunity of like-minded relationships that can strengthen our global vocation.

Theo Argitis: Mark Carney’s global debut
(The Hub) Prime Minister Mark Carney will seek to establish his bona fides as a consequential global leader when he hosts the three-day G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, starting Sunday. The summit—the most significant gathering of world leaders since Donald Trump’s re-election last fall—will, on the surface, aim to build bridges. That’s what leaders typically strive to do at G7 gatherings.
But beneath the familiar choreography will lie a more jarring reality that defines Carney’s worldview and will anchor his foreign policy at this G7 and beyond. U.S. leadership is no longer a given. The global order is fracturing. And advanced democracies like Canada must recalibrate by strengthening economic and defence capacity at home and forging new alliances abroad.
Carney has wasted no time putting his ideas into practice. In just over six weeks since his election win, Carney has begun reshaping the fundamentals of Canada’s global posture with a doctrine that puts primary emphasis on national sovereignty.

Kheiriddin: Finally, Canada is making defence a priority
By Tasha Kheiriddin
The change sends a message to U.S. President Donald Trump and EU allies that Canada means business on defence. Together with the government’s border security bill announced this week, Carney is paving the way for a trade deal, or at least some relief from tariffs, with the United States.
His spending boost will sit well with his recent pledge to join ReArm Europe, in light of upcoming NATO demands that members spend five per cent of GDP in coming years, instead of two.
Carney also gets a gold star for actual change. The government will beef up salaries, recruitment and retention of troops, finally acknowledging that new equipment is pointless without skilled personnel. Ottawa will also overhaul the procurement process, a boost for the Canadian defence industry which could offset some of the costs to taxpayers through job creation and revenue.
What’s behind Mark Carney’s military splurge? – Transcript
(CBC Radio Front Burner) Allie Jaynes with David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen defence reporter
AJ: What do you think a reduction in that reliance [on the U.S.] might look like in a material sense?
DP: So he’s talked about this a number of times, and in the election run-up as well. It’s going to be difficult for him to accomplish this, because the Canadian Forces is so integrated into the U.S. Military. Much of our equipment is U.S.-produced. And as Mr. Carney has pointed out: “over 75 cents on every dollar of capital spend for defence, goes to the United States.”
…there’s lots of military-oriented equipment out on the market from Europe. South Korea is now, you know, at our door. And as well, Europe has this ReArm Europe program, which is going to funnel money into…new equipment. And Mr. Carney has talked about Canada joining that and signing on by, I think he said, July 1st.
AJ: Am I right that we do make military equipment here, but a lot of it actually is… like the parent companies that own these factories in Canada are still American? Is that right?
DP: …there are some Canadian-owned companies, but most of them are largely American-owned. Now, we make certain products in Canada, for instance, light armored vehicles. Those are made in London, Ontario by General Dynamics, which is an American company. However, you, know, they’re producing the entire vehicle there. Some of the other things we produce, some of our own ammunition. In other cases, we produce components of ammunition, which are sent down to the U.S. and, and put in bombs and such. So we have a couple of areas of expertise: cyber defence… you know, we have critical minerals, which are going to be important. That type of thing. So. But it’s very limited. It’s going to be, it’s going to be difficult to, you know, move away from the United States in this area.
… DP: So they’re talking about buying 12 submarines. Well, we don’t have enough submariners to operate the four submarines that we have now.
AJ: Yeah, it’s been pretty well documented that the Canadian Armed Forces are facing a pretty significant recruitment and retention crisis. I mean, our CBC colleague Murray Brewster reported a few weeks ago that the military’s biggest retention problem is actually among new recruits because they’re not getting trained and into the jobs that they actually want. And so talk to me a little bit more about from your perspective, you know, the big causes of this recruitment and retention crisis, because obviously, you can’t really build up your military if you can’t actually staff it.

10 June
Canada, U.K. and other allies sanctioned Israeli ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich
(CBC) Canada has joined the U.K., Norway, Australia and New Zealand in sanctioning two Israeli cabinet ministers for “inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.”
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are accused of pushing “extremist rhetoric” by calling for the displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank and the expansion of Israeli settlements in the territory.

9 June
Carney pledges transformation of Canadian military to meet global ‘turning points’
Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada will embark on a generational transformation of its Armed Forces — including billions in investment, a new defence policy and salary increases — to better defend Canadian sovereignty ‘from sea floor to the Arctic to cyberspace.’
Carney says Canada will meet 2% NATO spending target by March
$9.3B in new spending includes military recruitment, pay increases for personnel
Saying that the era of the United States’ dominance on the world stage is over, Prime Minister Mark Carney committed his government on Monday to meeting the NATO benchmark target of two per cent of the country’s gross domestic product by the end of the current fiscal year in March.
The prime minister outlined his vision of Canada moving more closely toward European allies in a speech in Toronto.

5 June
Carney agrees to high-level talks with Beijing on resolving Canada-China trade war
Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Chinese counterpart agreed Thursday to “regularize channels of communication” in Canada’s estranged relationship with China and hold talks to resolve a trade war affecting billions of dollars of trade between the two countries.
Mr. Carney and Chinese Premier Li Qiang also agreed to further cooperate on fighting illegal production of the opioid fentanyl.
It was Mr. Carney’s first conversation with Chinese leadership since becoming Prime Minister, his office said.
They agreed to convene deputy-minister level talks to try to tackle a damaging trade war.

2 June
Canada Needs More World: Mark Carney’s Summitry Launch
By Colin Robertson
(Policy) For Prime Minister Mark Carney, June will not only be about making good his promises on internal trade and tax relief but using a month of summits to present a new Canadian face to the world.
… Since World War II, Canada has traditionally balanced our preponderant U.S. bilateral relationship with active participation in multilateral forums.
Initially, Canada’s summitry agendas were implemented with activism, initiative and ideas. That, over the years, shifted into the complacency of just ‘being there’.
Where once we actively sought leadership positions and seconded our foreign service to the UN, Commonwealth and Francophonie, we withdrew and depended on reports. Where once there was a Canadian maple leaf on food shipments, expedience now means just writing a cheque to an international organization. This may have served the bean-counters, but it has done little to advance Canadian interests in an increasingly complicated world. Folding CIDA into GAC and letting the brand disappear was a mistake.
While the world does not need the pompous presumption of “more Canada”, Canada does need “more world” especially as we are now obliged to hedge, for existential reasons, our dependence on the United States.
Carney understands this and he is acting accordingly to make us the “strongest economy in the G7”. To achieve more self-reliance, the focus, rightly, is on the home front of slashing internal trade barriers and “build, baby, build”, but the external pledge to diversify trade while attracting talent is equally important.

30 May
Carney’s joint statement with France and UK on ‘intolerable’ conditions in Gaza a strong first step
by Linda McQuaig
Prime Minister Mark Carney chose to break with Washington and his predecessor in condemning the conditions Israel has imposed on the people of Gaza. Now he must follow it up with actions.
…last week…Prime Minister Mark Carney joined the leaders of France and the U.K. in demanding Israel stop its “egregious” military actions in Gaza and its “denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population.”
The joint statement backed up these demands on Israel with the threat of “concrete actions,” while also calling on Hamas to release the Israeli hostages it’s holding.
The statement is an important breakthrough that could signal the end of western compliance with the immense human tragedy in Gaza, as Israel continues for the 19th month to bomb and starve the two million people of Gaza in response to Hamas’ deadly terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

20 May
Kyle Matthews: Five big moves Mark Carney must make to secure Canada’s place in the world
(Policy Options) The new government must act urgently to modernize defence, rebuild diplomacy and project Canada’s influence in a turbulent world.
As re-elected Prime Minister Mark Carney and his new cabinet take the reins in Ottawa at a time of rising global instability, his government must urgently rethink how it defends Canada’s sovereignty, deepens its alliances and projects its influence in a world increasingly being shaped by authoritarian aggression and technological disruption.
Modernize the military
We need a foreign policy that is not only values-based but also power-aware. The lesson from the war in Ukraine is clear: wars are no longer just about firepower but are also about data, drones and battlefield innovation. Ukraine has shown the world what a nimble, tech-enabled military can achieve against a larger aggressor. Canada must take note.
Expand our diplomatic footprint
Canada’s influence abroad has eroded in part because our presence has shrunk. We must reverse this decline. New embassies, more diplomats and more regional experts must be deployed, especially in Asia, Africa and Latin America – regions where the geopolitical future is being written.
We also need a new generation of envoys who are as comfortable navigating TikTok and AI forums as they are negotiating trade and security agreements. We need more people on the ground to engage with allies, counter disinformation and build coalitions that advance democratic norms and economic co-operation. Canada’s diplomacy must match the scale and complexity of today’s challenges.
Turn Canada into a global hub for strategic thinking
Soft power and strategic influence are built on ideas. Canada must become a magnet for them. Yet Canada’s think tanks – especially those working on security, democracy, human rights and digital threats – are chronically underfunded. The federal government should create a dedicated fund to support their work and offer incentives for top-tier allied think tanks to set up shop in Canada.
Transform the CBC into a global media force
Canada is being out-communicated by authoritarian regimes, which are exploiting national and international media to shape global opinion and weaken democracies.
We need a national broadcaster with a global voice. The CBC, and especially Radio-Canada International, should be given a new mission: to report on global struggles for democracy, counter disinformation and elevate the voices of human rights defenders.
Invest in people and global leadership networks
Strategic alliances are not forged only at summits. They are built through long-lasting relationships between people. Canada’s most enduring alliances are often created and sustained not by governments, but through human connection. Ottawa should dramatically expand its support for educational exchanges, leadership programs and civil society partnerships that tie emerging global leaders to Canada.

17 May
Carney meets with Zelensky for first time, asserts support for Ukraine
(Canadian Press via Globe & Mail) Prime Minister Mark Carney reaffirmed Canada’s “steadfast and unwavering support” for Ukraine in his first meeting with the country’s president on Saturday in Rome.
His meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky was one of several sit-downs with world leaders taking place in the Italian capital, where Carney – a devout Catholic – has travelled to attend the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV. The Prime Minister is making a concerted effort to meet with other G7 leaders ahead of the global summit Canada is hosting in Kananaskis, Alta., next month.
Carney said he’s looking-forward to hosting Zelensky at the G7 meeting next month.
The Prime Minister also met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at her official residence earlier in the day.
He was greeted with a red-carpet reception at Chigi Palace – a 16th century building which once hosted a concert performed by a teenage Mozart in 1770 – with a 50-member Italian honour guard standing in formation as a band played the Italian and Canadian national anthems.
This weekend’s trip marks Carney’s first foreign visit since his win in last month’s federal election.

28 April
What Liberal Mark Carney’s election win in Canada means for Europe
Katerina Sviderska, PhD Candidate in Slavonic Studies, University of Cambridge and Leandre Benoit, PhD Candidate in Politics, University of Oxford
(The Conversation) As some European countries and the United States head towards isolationism, authoritarianism and turn to the East — even flirting with Russia — Canada’s continued Liberal leadership reinforces its position as a key ally for the European Union. Carney’s centrist and pro-EU attitude provides stability and relief for Europeans.

25 March
US war plans leak shows Five Eyes allies must ‘look out for ourselves’, says Mark Carney
Signal blunder likely to put strain on Five Eyes as it weighs how Trump administration handles classified information

2 March
Trudeau staunchly defends Zelenskyy as London summit on European security wraps up
(CTV) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Moscow can’t be trusted in any agreement to end its invasion of Ukraine, as European leaders craft plans to rely less on Washington and protect the continent from more incursions by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trudeau said it could lead to Canada joining a new military coalition aimed at upholding an eventual peace in Ukraine, but the outgoing prime minister added that others will have to make such a decision.
“Vladimir Putin is a liar and a criminal, and cannot be trusted to keep his word in any way, shape or form. Because he has demonstrated time and time again that he will break any agreements,” Trudeau said Sunday.

25 February
Jeremy Kinsman: Canada’s ‘Iron Diplomacy’ in Ukraine: This Week in Anti-Trumpism
(Policy) Trump seems attracted to an alternative-world concept of three dominant spheres, where, as Michael Ignatieff described in the Financial Times Jan 19, “the writ of the new international order no longer runs, and where power over the global economy has devolved to three zones of influence: the Chinese in East Asia; the Russians in Eurasia; and the Americans, with an exclusive sphere of influence in the western hemisphere, stretching from Greenland in the Arctic to Chile at the southern tip of Latin America.”
Canadians say, “Hell, no.”
So do Europeans, now determined to intensify greater self-reliance in security, infrastructure, and services with which Canada should associate. Trudeau said this week that Canada could join European partners in a Ukraine security force. Germany and Norway are undertaking an electric submarine construction program and would welcome Canadian participation. Nordic and Baltic states are advancing Arctic cooperation that would be nourished by partnership with Canada, making the “true North strong and free” an international undertaking.
We need to be clear-eyed protagonists in our own fate. By telegraphing potential withdrawal from global cooperation in the UN, the G-20, and the G-7, Trump’s nationalist US administration has already taken the side of the autocrats in what is now a well-established systemic shift.
But it has opened a void Canada can help to fill, in concert with like-minded partners from every continent. Humanism must not slink off the international stage in deference to the show-off advocates of nationalist predation.

24 February
Trudeau visits Ukraine to mark 3rd anniversary of Russian invasion
Trudeau says ‘everything is on the table’ when it comes to putting boots on the ground to enforce peace deal
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid a surprise visit to Kyiv on Monday, along with other Western political leaders, to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
It is an important, symbolic moment and comes less than a week after U.S. President Donald Trump’s public attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom Trump dismissed as a “dictator.”
Trudeau opened the summit pledging to give 25 light-armoured vehicles to Ukraine and to provide the country with the first payment of the $5 billion in funds from seized Russian assets.

18 February
Canada’s foreign minister says she gave Europe a ‘wake-up call’ on threat Trump poses to Canada
(CBC) Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly concluded a week-long trip to Europe Tuesday where she said it was her job to tell Canada’s European allies just how much of a threat U.S. President Donald Trump is posing to Canada on a security and economic front
Joly said that Europeans have not spoken out loudly against U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to annex Canada or saddle our economy with tariffs because “Europe has its own challenges” in dealing with Washington.
… Global Affairs Canada confirmed later Tuesday that Canada has been invited, and will take part in, the second French summit on Ukraine and European security…held in Paris on Wednesday and will include European nations not invited to the first summit.
Canada interested in ’being involved in protecting Ukraine’ after war, Joly says
‘We can’t let Russia go unchecked,’ Joly said, arguing that ending the fighting on Moscow’s terms would only encourage Russia to further destabilize Europe
(National Post) She says that while Europeans are receptive to the idea of closer ties with Canada, many are unaware of the extent to which the Trump administration is challenging Canada’s economy.
Joly is heading to South Africa for a meeting of G20 foreign ministers, where she will try to determine how Canada’s position chairing the G7 might reflect the priorities of the larger G20 group.

6 January
Andrew Coyne: With the country under attack, Trudeau leaves it to drift – for months
At one point the Prime Minister mused “we are at a critical moment in the world.” He got that much right, not least where Canada is concerned. The country is under assault on several fronts: by China, by India, by Russia, but most of all, incredibly, by the United States, whose president-elect has, for no sensible reason, declared economic war on us.

2 January
Why Canada should join the EU
Europe needs space and resources, Canada needs people. Let’s deal
(The Economist) …As it turns out, both Europe and Canada may be in the market for upgraded alliances. Donald Trump’s return to the White House on January 20th brings with it the prospect of tariffs and jingoistic bluster. Nerves are jangling on both sides of the north Atlantic. Places on the fringes of the European Union are rethinking their ties to the club. Switzerland has agreed to a closer alliance, and Iceland will hold a referendum in 2027 on joining. Greenland, which left the EU in 1985 after gaining autonomy from Denmark, might consider rejoining, given Mr Trump’s obsession with it. But Canada may have the most to fret about. Mr Trump is goading his neighbour by suggesting it is about to become America’s 51st state and referring to its prime minister as “Governor Justin Trudeau”. Officials from Ottawa and EU capitals have been trading notes on how to handle another bout of Mr Trump. Charlemagne, who enjoys both European and Canadian heritage, has a ready solution to both places’ woes: the EU should invite Canada to become its 28th member.
The (not entirely straightforward) case for CanadEU predates Mr Trump. It is, in short, that Canada is vast and blessed with natural resources but relatively few people, while the EU is small, cramped and mineral-poor. …

Canada set to preside over G7 in 2025 amid political instability at home and abroad
Canada will host G7 leaders’ summit in Alberta in June
(Canadian Press) Canada is set to take over the presidency of the G7 in 2025, leading a forum of seven of the world’s most advanced economies at a time of political instability at home and around the world.
The rotating presidency involves a series of meetings across the hosting country for senior officials of G7 countries, who co-ordinate policies ranging from defence to digital regulation. Some meetings involve civil society groups, business leaders and organized labour.
… Sen. Peter Boehm, a former diplomat who played a central role in Canada’s participation in the G7 for decades, said it’s a key tool for Canada to exert influence and safeguard economic and security interests. “Our participation in the G7 is is potentially the jewel of the crown of our foreign policy,” he said.
15 October 2024
G7 countries looking at stronger measures to fight foreign interference: LeBlanc

2024

RCMP, partners gear up for major security effort ahead of 2025 G7 Summit in Kananaskis
Lessons learned from hosting world leaders summit in Kananaskis in 2002 to inform planning for 2025.

6 December 2023
Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade
More than a Vocation: Canada’s Need for a 21st Century Foreign Service
Are Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the Canadian foreign service fit for purpose? This is the question that prompted the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (the committee) to conduct the first substantive examination of the Canadian foreign service in more than 40 years. The global environment has changed dramatically since 1981 when the Royal Commission on Conditions of Foreign Service published its report, not least because of globalization, new geopolitical alignments, and technological advancements.

8 December
Statement on the situation in Syria
Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:
“Canada welcomes the end of the Assad regime in Syria, a regime that has inflicted decades of suffering on its own people. This event marks a significant turning point for the Syrian people, who have endured unimaginable hardship under the rule of Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafez al-Assad. …”

6 December
Ottawa unveils new policy for what it now calls the ‘North American Arctic’
Robert Fife
Canada will begin security talks with allies to protect the Arctic from military and economic challenges posed by Russia and China under a new Arctic policy unveiled Friday that also includes working more closely with the United States.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly worked on the strategy for more than a year as Canada and allies bordering the Arctic grapple with China gaining a major foothold in the region through its alliance with Russia. They’re also dealing with climate change, as melting ice opens up new shipping routes and mineral exploration.
The policy introduces a new framing of the Arctic. It calls the region the “North American Arctic” 13 times in the document, an apparent stress of how important co-operation with the United States and its military will be.
As The Globe and Mail reported last year, China, although it has no territory fronting the Arctic, is rapidly building up its presence in the region through Russia. Moscow is facing a severe budget crunch from its military assault on Ukraine, and increasingly relies on Beijing and unprecedented levels of Chinese corporate and state investment to develop the area. China’s northernmost tip is still located about 1,500 kilometres from the Arctic.
25 August 2023
Ron Huebert: China is on a relentless mission to control Canada’s Arctic waters