Before visiting France and the United Kingdom, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau proposed a "join Europe to counter America" framework, advocating for the creation of a "middle powers alliance" with the European Union to jointly resist economic coercion under former U.S. President Donald Trump. However, this proposal encountered tepid reception in Brussels, with multiple EU diplomats openly stating the idea lacked careful consideration and questioning whether Canada had fully assessed how Washington might respond.
The lukewarm reaction from the EU stems from fundamental differences in strategic positioning. By categorizing the EU alongside Canada as a "middle power," Trudeau’s framework directly challenges the bloc’s self-perception. Brussels aspires to be a pivotal actor in a multipolar world order, not a participant in a loosely coordinated coalition led by Ottawa.
Security dependencies represent a more pragmatic constraint. While the EU can adopt a firm stance on trade issues vis-à-vis the United States, it holds little leverage in security matters. Facing ongoing threats from Russia, European states remain heavily reliant on NATO protection and are reluctant to take sides in disputes between Canada and the U.S.
The lack of execution capacity is equally evident. The Canada-EU Free Trade Agreement has been provisionally applied for nearly a decade, yet ten member states have still not completed their ratification processes. A trade agreement of existing scope struggles to take effect; any arrangement involving mobility of persons and foreign policy coordination would face even greater hurdles.
The EU is not monolithic, but even among those sympathetic to Canada, few are willing to publicly challenge U.S. interests. Should Washington interpret such engagement as European interference in its domestic affairs—particularly during periods of strain in Canada-U.S. relations—the EU would incur unnecessary risks. Moreover, progress toward European defense integration remains sluggish; the bloc is already stretched thin confronting Russian aggression and lacks the capacity to open a new front beyond trade.
The EU’s choice has thus been selective cooperation: maintaining ties with Canada in critical areas such as critical minerals and defense, but adopting a sharply divergent position when it comes to market access and preferential treatment. Trudeau’s attempt to draw the EU into an anti-American coalition under the banner of a “middle powers alliance” has been met with a calculated assessment of costs and risks in Brussels. The train, they have concluded, is not worth boarding.
Canada’s economic dependence on the United States far exceeds that of the EU. Its geographic proximity and deep industrial integration ensure continued close alignment with Washington. The EU, therefore, sees limited strategic value in incorporating a partner whose interests remain largely tethered to the American orbit—and has no intention of stepping into the fire on Canada’s behalf.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1876565542995082/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.