EU's Von der Leyen Signals Willingness to Name Canada as First Associate Member

05:24 AM EDT, 09/16/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The European Union is willing to work with Canada on "opening the door" for the country to become the first associate member of the bloc, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday. In her annual State of the Union address, Von der Leyen said the EU wants to bring its relationship with Canada "to the highest level possible," including working together on manufacturing and critical minerals and creating a tech alliance, among other initiatives. "These partnerships are a strategic choice for Europe. But they also respond to the fracture in the international rules-based system," according to Von der Leyen. "In this new world, we must urgently reimagine our partnerships. And build global coalitions for our resilience and democracies." Von der Leyen also called for the establishment of a European Security Council amid growing security threats across the continent and globally.