The jet lag has barely worn off, but Brussels is already grappling with what its new relationship with Canada could actually look like.
After the 48-hour whirlwind EU-Canada summit in Montreal, Prime Minister Mark Carney has given the EU six months to hash out what “associate membership” actually means. On the show, Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur unpack the deals struck at the summit and what lies ahead for the relations between the two powers.
Next, after last month’s unwieldy European Council summit drew criticism of its president, Antonio Costa, he’s doubling down on his push to secure a budget by 2027. This week, his head of cabinet Pedro Lourtie will be holding so-called “confessionals” with national governments to get a sense of where they stand.
And finally, Europe’s coffin makers are afraid Chinese competitors could be the death of their business.
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In this special edition, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney sits down with POLITICO’s chief EU correspondent Zoya and Ottawa bureau chief Nick Taylor-Vaisey for an exclusive interview.
With Canada and the European Union exploring a much closer partnership, Carney discusses his vision for Canada’s place in a changing world, the future of transatlantic relations and what it would take to build a lasting alliance with Europe. And with Donald Trump reshaping relations between traditional allies, how far is Canada prepared to go in charting a new course?
If you have a question or comment, don’t hesitate! Message us on our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.
America is heading to the polls for the midterm elections — and Europe is watching closely. With the outcome set to have consequences far beyond Washington, from trade to defense, we’re bringing you a special episode of The Conversation, hosted by POLITICO’s Dasha Burns.
Dasha sits down with two political strategists working behind the scenes in some of America’s most consequential races: Republican T.W. Arrighi and Democrat Lis Smith. They take stock of the race, reveal what goes into running a high-stakes campaign and explore what’s shaping the battle for American voters.
If you have a question or comment, don’t hesitate! Message us on our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.
MONTREAL — There’s one thing the European Union and Canada want to avoid with their new alliance: stoking new fury from Washington and Beijing.
Officials have been under pressure to check off everything they said they would do at the last summit and on Friday will unveil the areas they plan to focus on over the next year, as they intensify their transatlantic cooperation. But don’t expect a parade of new deals.
“Canada has objectives where they need our technology — so you can build a beautiful relationship if you focus on it,” one senior EU official told POLITICO about shared challenges in diversifying away from the U.S. and China. The official was granted anonymity to speak candidly about sensitive diplomatic negotiations between Brussels and Ottawa.
One of the core EU interests in Canada, the official explained, is a chance for the bloc to diversify its supply of critical raw materials and sources of energy to further reduce its dependence on China and Russia, respectively.
“They have most of what we need,” the official said about Canadian minerals. “There’s also a huge opportunity to bring Canadian fossil fuels and gas to the EU.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney dismissed the controversy over whether the EU should label the relationship with Canada as an “associate membership,” saying on Thursday it was a sideshow to what’s been billed as a landmark summit.
Earlier this week, Germany, France, Greece and other countries opposed the definition in a joint EU-Canada statement to be issued in Montreal. That came after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen put forward the “associate membership” label in September.
But Carney told reporters on Thursday that the new alliance wasn’t “a marketing exercise” and that the name doesn’t matter. “What matters is that the complementarities of our two jurisdictions strengthen our sovereignty, strengthen Europe’s sovereignty, various strategic autonomies, critical minerals, energy, other aspects — AI,” he said.
A tricky political road lies ahead as Carney and von der Leyen make moves to draw the EU and Canada closer in a partnership that doesn’t include its southern neighbor. They’ll need to tiptoe forward with an “association without accession” work plan in the last years of the U.S. President Donald Trump’s time in office.
Diplomatic balance
Montreal’s historic Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth hotel was a hub of summit activity on Thursday, beginning with a morning spectacle of von der Leyen heading out of the hotel in runners, taking staff out for a walking meeting. EU commissioners and Canadian Cabinet ministers sailed in and out of the hotel’s perfumed lobby, greeting colleagues.
Jet-lagged Europeans, along with Canadian officials and lobbyists, commiserated over what they saw as poor summit organization, spread across multiple locations.
The debate over membership semantics became a luncheon laugh line when European Council President António Costa endorsed Von der Leyen’s offer to Canada before joking the final designation is “subject to revision”
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas signs the EU-Canada Host Country Agreement with Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand in Montreal on Oct. 29, 2026. | Christinne Muschi/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Then, between servings of frisée salad and roast salmon, Costa struck a diplomatic balance.
“Tomorrow, the European Union and Canada will launch an alliance for the future of Europe,” he said, invoking German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s preferred label and a term Carney has also used to describe the relationship. But Costa also backed von der Leyen’s “ambition” of Canada as an “associate member” of the EU, admitting the term might not matter in the end.
By mid-afternoon, Carney seemed to come around to the term, recognizing the work underway to deepen relations as “an alliance for the future, with Canada as an associate member, between Canada and the European Union.”
The two sides are expected to announce a wrap on talks on a new digital trade agreement on Friday, ending negotiations that were launched in the spring. Other anticipated outcomes include an agreement between the European Investment Bank and Canada, geared to allow the bloc to fund Canadian critical minerals projects.
Eleven EU commissioners in town to “further an agenda” is no small accomplishment, Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne told reporters. “It’s a historic moment that we need to seize.”
AI and energy companies are expected to be major beneficiaries of an enhanced EU–Canada relationship, making the absences of European Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen and Canadian Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson noteworthy.
Zoya Sheftalovich contributed to this report from Montreal.
European leaders are descending on Montreal in a bid to forge closer ties with Canada.
On today’s show, host Zoya Sheftalovich catches up with Sarah Wheaton, who’s on the ground at the EU-Canada summit. They unpack what the talks could actually deliver — from defense and critical raw materials to space and AI — and the Trump-shaped shadow hanging over it all.
Next, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen may be here in Montreal, but back in Brussels, questions remain about her role in the EU’s Covid vaccine deal with Pfizer.
Finally: Eurovision has revealed its 2027 lineup — but the row over Israel’s participation is far from over.
Questions, comments? Please write in! Find us on WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.
Europe’s united front on Ukraine is showing cracks. Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre have opened a direct line to Vladimir Putin, drawing criticism from some fellow European leaders — even as Ukraine backs their efforts. Nicholas Vinocur and Paul Dallison examine the fallout and the growing scramble over who gets to speak for Europe in peace talks.
Also on the pod: Brussels unveils a sweeping overhaul of Frontex, giving the EU border agency a much bigger role in deportations, new powers to monitor social media and plans for a major expansion.
And after a summer of devastating heatwaves and wildfires, the European Commission wants governments to prepare for a world that’s three degrees hotter than preindustrial levels.
Finally, you can see the ghostly turnip that freaked Nick out here. And if you have someone spooky in mind for Paul’s story on the figures haunting the EU bubble, please write in! Find us on WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.
Ursula von der Leyen’s plan to slim down and reorganize the European Commission moves a step closer, with outside advisers calling for a stronger center, fewer bureaucratic silos and potentially far-reaching changes to some of Brussels’ most powerful departments.
Then, after Aleksandar Vučić’s defeat in Serbia, Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur ask whether a new government can revive the country’s stalled EU path — and whether Brussels has some lessons to learn.
Plus, tobacco lobbying in the European Parliament has surged just as the EU rewrites its smoking and nicotine rules.
Finally, are you on team pumpkin decoration or team pumpkin carving? Nick has strong feelings; let us know yours! Message us on our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.
PARIS — Top European defense ministers and EU representatives said Ukraine faces challenging months ahead, insisting they must keep supporting Kyiv despite the U.S. bid for talks with Russia.
“The new diplomatic push is there, but it’s also clear that Putin’s actions tell a different story,” the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said at a press conference in Paris on Monday. Kallas said she was expecting a “brutal winter” for Kyiv and that there was “no hope for imminent peace,” reiterating the need to help Ukraine “withstand the attacks and increase the cost for Russia.”
Kallas, along with European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius, joined a meeting with defense ministers from the E5 group made up of France, the U.K., Germany, Poland and Italy, hosted at the French armed forces ministry.
The meeting came amid a renewed U.S. effort to push Ukraine into peace talks with Russia and growing doubts about Washington’s support for Kyiv.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said last week he would offer Russia’s Vladimir Putin direct talks with President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy to secure a ceasefire.
“No results whatsoever comes for those who want to negotiate with Putin,” German defense minister Boris Pistoripus said. “The results are what? It doesn’t lead to anything. There is no signal whatsoever that Putin is looking for peace.”
The U.K.’s Wes Streeting added: “While none of us seek confrontation with Russia … We do have to be aware of the threat posed by Russia.”
While pledging “total transparency” with the U.S., France’s Catherine Vautrin said the E5 members would “work together concretely,” focusing on arms production and interoperability.
“Produce more, produce faster, produce equipment suited to today’s conflicts – but we must already be planning for the conflicts of tomorrow,” Vautrin said. “On that, EU financial initiatives can help us move in this direction.”
Canada and the EU want a much closer relationship — but they still disagree over what that relationship actually is.
Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur look ahead to this week’s EU-Canada summit in Montreal, where leaders are still negotiating the language, the label and the practical deliverables.
Then, Ukraine’s growing financing needs are colliding with the fight over the EU’s next seven-year budget, as some countries resist taking part in another common loan.
And finally, Brussels’ battle over meat-related names takes an unexpected turn — with bacon-flavoured crisps caught in the crossfire.
If you have a question or comment, don’t hesitate! Message us on our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.
U.S. President Donald Trump has the world’s war crimes court in his crosshairs.
By sanctioning the entire International Criminal Court, his administration is threatening its ability to function. Europe has rushed to the court’s defense — but can it actually protect it from American financial power? And how far is the European Union willing to go to confront Washington when it still relies so heavily on the U.S. for its own security?
Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by European Parliament lawmaker Dirk Gotink and Atlantic Council sanctions expert Lize de Kruijf to discuss Europe’s options, its dependence on the U.S. dollar and American technology and whether the EU can stand up for international justice.
If you have any questions or comments, send us a message on our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.
As the U.S. pushes to revive peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, a question is causing tensions in Brussels: Who actually speaks for the EU?
Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton examine the growing influence of Ursula von der Leyen’s powerful chief of staff, Björn Seibert, and why Finnish President Alexander Stubb may be eyeing a bigger role.
Then, have you ever received a suspicious message from Booking.com? The European Commission has launched an investigation into whether the travel platform is doing enough to protect customers from scams and fraudulent listings.
Finally, Brussels rolls out the diplomatic red carpet for 19 new ambassadors. From Britain and Canada to Ukraine and India, we meet some of the fresh faces arriving on the EU diplomatic scene.
If you have a question or comment, don’t hesitate! Message us on our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.
Neun Länder drängen in die Europäische Union, doch die Tür ist seit über einem Jahrzehnt verschlossen. Während Friedrich Merz in Montenegro die Beitrittschancen der Länder des Westbalkans auslotet, wäre ein Scheitern des nächsten Beitritts durch Montenegro, vor allem für Russland und China eine Genugtuung. Europa-Experte Hans von der Burchard analysiert, warum das kleine Land an der Adria zum Lackmustest für die Erweiterungspolitik wird und welche bittere Pille die Ukraine womöglich schlucken muss.
In Berlin entbrennt zeitgleich auf der Ministerpräsidentenkonferenz ein harter Verteilungskampf um die Energiekosten. Rasmus Buchsteiner beleuchtet die Milliarden-Forderungen von Hendrik Wüst zur Stromsteuer sowie die teuren Rentenpläne von Markus Söder. Die Konferenz beginnt ausgerechnet am Tag der Steuerschätzung. Die entscheidende Frage lautet: Wie sollen diese politischen Versprechen angesichts riesiger Haushaltslücken dauerhaft finanziert werden?
Antworten auf die angespannte Kassenlage liefert Sebastian Schäfer. Der Chefhaushälter der Grünen-Bundestagsfraktion erklärt im 200-Sekunden-Interview, warum er die Steuersenkungspläne der Union für unrealistisch hält. Stattdessen bringt er einen konkreten Sparvorschlag ins Spiel.
Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es jeden Morgen ab 5 Uhr. Rixa Fürsen, Maximilian Stascheit und das POLITICO-Team liefern Politik zum Hören – kompakt, international, hintergründig.
Für alle Hauptstadt-Profis: Der Berlin Playbook-Newsletter bietet jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. Jetzt kostenlos abonnieren.
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Steve Witkoff, the United States’ special envoy, praised Russian ruler Vladimir Putin during face-to-face talks in St. Petersburg, calling him “a humanitarian.”
“You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian. You are a humanitarian also, sir, and I salute that, I commend you, and I thank you again,” Witkoff said Wednesday in a Russian state media video clip posted on social media.
Witkoff’s visit is the latest U.S. attempt to bring Moscow and Kyiv to the negotiation table, four-and-a-half years after the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The American envoy met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo on Tuesday, and is expected to propose trilateral talks between the two leaders and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Russia’s strikes on Kyiv and Kharkiv continued overnight, killing three people, local mayors reported.
Putin’s assault on Ukraine killed 328 civilians in September alone, according to the United Nations, while Kremlin forces bombard energy infrastructure across the country heading into winter.
PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday hit out at the “unacceptable and stupid comments from many foreign leaders” in the aftermath of unrest which rocked several French cities over the weekend.
“Some people have claimed that we’ve been overrun by hordes of migrants and Islamists, which is completely false,” Macron told reporters during a trip to Qatar. His comments were a clear swipe at U.S. President Donald Trump, who this week railed that France is “being conquered, looted, and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists, and Communists.”
While hundreds of thousands of protesters in France demonstrated peacefully over the cost of living and school conditions at the weekend, the mayhem — including public buildings being set on fire, stores being looted and clashes with riot police — sparked widespread condemnation in France and abroad, including in the U.S., where Trump is using the French unrest to rally voters ahead of November’s midterm elections.
There is no evidence tying last weekend’s incidents in France to immigration.
Macron said Trump is “among” a group of political leaders who are campaigning “off of France’s back,” adding, “it’s at times like these that you can tell who loves France and who doesn’t.”
Right-leaning leaders in other European countries like Hungary and Poland also tried to pin the unrest in France on immigration to justify their countries’ hard-line policies on the divisive issue. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on X that the chaos that engulfed several French cities makes it “clear to everyone why Hungary advocates the strictest possible approach to migration.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot responded by offering to “assist the countries concerned in understanding the situation, to prevent them from spreading or relaying false information.”
“Foreign leaders who comment on or exploit recent events in France for electoral purposes or to harm us — without understanding anything about them — should show at least a basic measure of restraint,” he added.
With Washington’s support for Kyiv increasingly uncertain, Brussels is looking to its allies to help keep Ukraine afloat. The price tag: €70 billion.
On today’s show, Zoya Sheftalovich and Kathryn Carlson discuss how the EU hopes to persuade Canada, Britain and Japan to help foot the bill — and whether closer trade and defense ties could be part of the bargain.
Then, Germany’s far-right AfD leader Alice Weidel is in Strasbourg to present her vision for a radically different European Union.
And who owns your face and voice in the age of AI? As deepfakes become increasingly convincing, MEPs are pushing for new protections.
If you have a question or comment, don’t hesitate! Message us on our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff will offer Vladimir Putin direct talks with President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an effort to secure a ceasefire.
The proposal for three-way leaders’ negotiations on a peace proposal, the first such summit since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, was announced at a press conference Tuesday after talks in Norway between Zelenskyy and Witkoff.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who hosted the talks, said Witkoff will travel to Russia Wednesday and set out proposals for peace terms, including the idea of a three-way summit between the leaders. The meeting in Oslo came after days of high tensions between Ukraine and the U.S. president.
“We have hosted today, I would say, good and constructive talks — necessary after events of the last week,” Støre told reporters after the meeting. “Steve Witkoff will fly tomorrow to St. Petersburg where he will be meeting with Russian leadership and exchange ideas from this meeting and the proposals that have been worked on by European and American colleagues, and possibly pave the way for a meeting at leaders’ level.”
Previous attempts to get Putin to meet Zelenskyy in person have fallen flat, with the Kremlin recently insisting a meeting could only take place in Moscow.
Zelenskyy told the press conference that the day had been positive. He said issues around the future of Ukrainian territory could only be discussed by leaders and that any peace settlement would require genuine security guarantees. A deal would only be acceptable if Ukraine is involved in designing it, he said.
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