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On defense, Canada is turning away from the US and toward Europe

2 0
27.06.2025

BANFF, ALBERTA — Americans continue to flock here and to nearby Lake Louise. Canadians continue to welcome them warmly.

There is no sign of the tense relationship that continues to prevail between Ottawa and Washington. But Canada is pursuing a new international path that may mark a tectonic shift in its long-standing relationship with the U.S.

Although he has become more muted about annexing Canada to the U.S., President Trump has not entirely dropped the idea. And Canada’s response has been to move increasingly closer to Europe in general, and to the European Union in particular.

In March, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a review of Canada’s purchase of F-35 fighters. Ottawa was originally going to buy 88 aircraft, but with costs having grown by about 50 percent, Carney decided not to commit to more than the 16 planes that Canada had already funded. The review is slated to be completed later this summer; it will consider less costly alternatives to the F-35, most notably Sweden’s Gripen.

This week, Canada took another step closer to Europe. On the day before the NATO Summit at The Hague, Carney signed an........

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