The European Political Community (EPC) organizes its eighth summit in Yerevan, capital of Armenia, on Monday, May 4. For the first time, this informal organization invited a non-European country: Canada. The North American State, which will be represented by its Prime Minister Mark Carney, shares the European vision based on international law and multilateralism, while Europe's relations with Donald Trump, and his war against Iran, are complicated.

First modification: 05/03/2026 - 17:39 Last modification: 05/03/2026 - 20:53

This is neither the European Union nor the European Council, but a much more recent structure: the European Political Community (EPC), which is holding its eighth summit on Monday, May 4, in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

The 48 invited countries are expected to participate, among which are the 27 members of the European Union and other countries on the continent that do not belong to the bloc, but that share common interests such as the United Kingdom, Ukraine or Turkey.

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Launched by French President Emmanuel Macron in 2022 as a reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Political Community seeks to “offer a political coordination platform for European countries on issues of common interest, such as the security, stability and prosperity of the continent”, without the need for prior accession and without replacing existing organizations, indicates the European Union website touteleurope.eu.

Almost all European countries are invited to participate, with two exceptions: Russia and its ally Belarus, due to the war against Ukraine.

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Canada's unprecedented participation

However, the summit that opens on Monday in the capital of the Caucasus country has something unprecedented: the participation of Canada, a non-European country.

The invitation to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is part of a rapprochement between the continent and the North American country, "especially to better resist the attacks of the American president, Donald Trump," underlines the touteleurope.eu website.

In fact, community sources consulted by the EFE agency highlighted that "the reasons are obvious", since Canada shares with Europe the same vision on geopolitics and security and the belief in an international order based on international law and multilateralism.

“Europe and Canada are more than just like-minded partners: together we are building a global alliance to defend peace, shared prosperity and multilateralism,” wrote the president of the European Council, António Costa, on the X social network.

In the same order of ideas, Mark Carney responded that “in a more dangerous and divided world, Canada is increasingly getting closer to our European partners and allies” and highlighted that cooperation in defense, energy and technology seeks to “build a safer and more prosperous future on both sides of the Atlantic.”

A united front to resist Donald Trump

Mark Carney and many of the European leaders also have another point in common: their relations with the United States, a historical ally, have deteriorated since Donald Trump's return to the White House in January 2025.

In early 2025, Donald Trump suggested that Canada could become the 51st state of the United States, words taken as an attack on the country's sovereignty by Ottawa. Added to these statements was a tariff war between the two North American neighbors.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the list of disputes between Europe and the United States continues to lengthen. Issues such as the war in Ukraine or the question of the annexation of Greenland fueled tensions between the Old Continent and the United States, but lately, they have been reinforced by the war in Iran.

European leaders question the justifications for a conflict whose economic impact affects European countries. As the CPE summit opens, “the crisis in the Middle East is on everyone's lips, especially due to its energy and economic repercussions,” an European Union official tells the Belgian newspaper Le Soir, on condition of anonymity.

The most critical voice perhaps was that of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz who considered the lack of strategy of the United States in its war against Iran. He even said Washington was being humiliated by Tehran.

In reaction, Donald Trump replied that Friedrich Merz “does not know what he is talking about,” and that his country will withdraw at least 5,000 soldiers stationed in the European country.

Towards a continent less dependent on the United States

The Republican president extended the threat to Italy and Spain. This last country, through its head of Government Pedro Sánchez, is one of the Western powers most critical of Washington's actions, which in fact refused to allow the use of military bases shared with the United States in its territory for the continuation of Washington's war, together with Israel, against Iran.

Rome, in the same vein, did not allow some of the military bases located in its territory to be used in the context of the conflict in the Middle East, which bothered the White House.

The European Union and members of the European Political Community have begun to interpret these signals as a potential withdrawal of American troops from Europe. This forces the continent to accelerate its rearmament and ensure its own security in the face of the real possibility of being left alone on the global defensive board.

"Within NATO we must become more European in order to remain transatlantic. In other words: we Europeans must take greater responsibility for our own security," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius insisted on May 2.

A desire shared by the same military organization. “This adjustment highlights the need for Europe to continue investing more in defense and assume a greater share of responsibility for our common security,” stressed, for her part, the alliance's spokesperson, Allison Hart.

As the CPE summit is organized in Armenia, a country located within the Russian sphere of influence, and at the same time, close to the Middle East, the issue of the continent's security will necessarily be one of the important issues on the agenda.

With EFE and local media

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