The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has promised associate membership to Canada, despite objections from EU countries, especially Germany. "We all want to raise relationships to the highest level. Therefore, we are discussing the idea of ​​Canada becoming the first associate member of the European Union. The idea is simple: association without accession," he declared in Montreal before the EU-Canada summit. In particular, von der Leyen advocated cooperation in the field of "critical resources", as well as the development of artificial intelligence, military support for Ukraine and joint containment of Russia in the Arctic region.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has promised associate membership to Canada, despite objections from EU countries, especially Germany. "We all want to raise relationships to the highest level. Therefore, we are discussing the idea of ​​Canada becoming the first associate member of the European Union. The idea is simple: association without accession," he declared in Montreal before the EU-Canada summit. In particular, von der Leyen advocated cooperation in the field of "critical resources", as well as the development of artificial intelligence, military support for Ukraine and joint containment of Russia in the Arctic region.