EU and Canada push broad partnership upgrade at Montreal summit, wary of Trump response

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa arrived in Montreal on Thursday for a two-day summit with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, pressing for the widest possible upgrade to EU-Canada ties while Donald Trump's attention turns to next week's U.S. midterm elections.

The strategy, described by four EU officials and two Canadian diplomats granted anonymity, is to advance the broadest achievable partnership and hope Trump is too focused on campaigning to retaliate. Trump has already called the EU's offer of associate membership for Canada "laughable" and threatened "serious tariffs" if the two sides grow too close.

A draft joint statement obtained by reporters shows the two sides are pursuing closer cooperation on trade, defence, international engagement and institutional links. The agenda also covers energy, education and the Arctic.

Canada is additionally seeking changes that would outlast both Trump and a potential National Rally government in France; Marine Le Pen's party has criticised the EU-Canada trade pact, CETA, and leads in French polling.

Mark Camilleri, president of the Canada and EU Trade and Investment Association, said the summit "is a very strong statement" and that there is no sense it will be "some discreet get-together." A senior EU official acknowledged that the two sides know "the U.S. is watching" but said they are proceeding with business as usual.

One official raised the possibility the meeting produces only "nice pictures" and limited substance — an outcome that would make it less likely to trigger a response from Washington.