Breadcrumb Trail LinksNewsCanadaWorldAhead of next week's EU summit in Montreal, diplomats back closer ties with Canada but want 'associate membership' term droppedPublished Oct 23, 2026  •  Last updated 2 hours ago  •  2 minute readCanada's Prime Minister Mark Carney greets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after delivering a speech in the hemicycle at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, on September 17, 2026. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on September 17, 2026, rejected threats by US President Donald Trump over Ottawa's push for closer ties with the European Union. Photo by JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN /AFP via Getty ImagesArticle contentSee…