French President Emmanuel Macron traveled Sunday to Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the French archipelago off Canada’s Atlantic coast, where he was set to meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The visit marks the first by a French president since Francois Hollande’s 2014 trip.
Symbolic Timing Amid Flag Controversy
The trip comes weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump shared a social media post showing the United States, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Mexico and the Caribbean covered by the American flag. The image was labeled “United States of America.” Trump’s son Eric Trump later shared a similar map on X, captioned “We now have Canada surrounded.”
According to Reuters, a French presidency official said the visit underscores France’s sovereignty and its “geostrategic presence in the North Atlantic, at the doorstep of the United States and the Arctic,” alongside maritime sovereignty and climate adaptation.
Canada-EU Ties in Focus
Macron and Carney are expected to discuss the energy crisis and Canada’s deepening relationship with the European Union, after the EU proposed opening the door for Canada to become its first associate member.
Trump criticized the proposal and threatened higher tariffs on European goods if it proceeds. Carney rejected the pressure Thursday, telling reporters “nobody is going to tell us” with whom Canada can strike agreements
More than a decade after the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), 10 EU member states, including France, have yet to ratify the agreement.
Carney has made it clear that Canada does not want to become a full member of the European Union. Speaking to reporters earlier this month, he said Canada is instead seeking a “unique alliance” with the EU based on shared priorities.
The fresh U.S.-Canada feud traces back to Washington’s 50% tariffs on $27.6 billion of Canadian goods, with Ottawa matching them dollar for dollar, Benzinga reported.
The recent visit precedes Macron’s appearance at the U.N. General Assembly this week.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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