Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday embraced the prospect of his country becoming the European Union’s first associate member, saying that closer ties with the continent would ensure no country could control Canada’s markets or undermine its sovereignty.

Carney’s speech to the European Parliament repeatedly extolled cooperation between Europe and Canada — yet the relationship with the U.S., which has long defined Canada’s economy and has increasingly soured, hung over the address.

Trump's tariffs, his demands for economic concessions, and his repeated suggestions that Canada become the 51st state have driven Ottawa to reduce its reliance on its neighbour and to pursue a much deeper economic, security and political relationship with Europe.

Carney informed parliament that he welcomed the proposal put forward by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which was unveiled on Wednesday, although he acknowledged that “associate membership” has yet to be defined.

He set out what he was proposing: deeper integration across trade, defense, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, space, research and financial services to make both sides less vulnerable to economic and geopolitical pressure.

He later told reporters he was not pursuing full membership of the EU.

“We do not seek power to dominate others,” he said.

“On the contrary, we are pursuing resilience so that no one can control our open markets, impair our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity, or undermine our freedoms, our democracies, our rule of law.”

The prime minister received an ebullient welcome upon entering the chamber in Strasbourg, France — with many lawmakers approaching him to shake his hand and ask for selfies — and a standing ovation after he spoke.

One parliamentarian had donned a Canadian hockey jersey.

On Wednesday, von der Leyen proposed making Canada the EU's first associate member — a status that does not currently exist in the bloc's treaties and would have to be created.

She said Europe wants to take its relationship with Canada to "the highest level possible."

Carney, seated in the front row of the chamber, nodded and rose to embrace von der Leyen as lawmakers accorded the proposal a standing ovation.

Von der Leyen said that Canada and the EU should move beyond their existing free trade agreement and establish an “Alliance for the Future” encompassing a “common prosperity and economic security space.”

Carney will play host to EU leaders at a summit in Montreal on Oct. 29-30, at which point the two sides are anticipated to deliberate the proposed new relationship in greater depth.

Canada directs approximately 70% of its exports to the United States, rendering it profoundly vulnerable to Trump's tariffs.

Ottawa has retaliated and rebuffed demands that Carney asserts imperil Canadian sovereignty.

Europe chose a different course, abandoning retaliation and accepting tariffs of up to 15% on most EU exports to the U.S.

Trump suggested that the proposed EU arrangement could constitute a "hostile act" and threatened heavy tariffs on Europe if he judged its intentions to be unfriendly — raising the stakes ahead of Carney's speech.

When asked about Trump's comments, Carney said that Canadians were united in rejecting outside attempts to dictate the country's choices.

“Canadians are united in the belief that nobody is going to tell us what language we speak.

No one is going to dictate our culture or whom we can strike international agreements with,” Carney said.

Carney has repeatedly called on what he describes as middle powers to resist economic coercion.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, he warned that when countries negotiate alone with a dominant power, “we negotiate from weakness. We accept what is offered.”

The following day, Trump administered a sharp rebuke to him.

Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s ambassador-designate to the EU, said Ottawa wants “to get as close as we possibly can” to Europe while increasing Canada’s independence.

Although associate membership is still to be negotiated, Canada has already taken a significant step.

This year, it became the first non-European country to join the EU’s 150-billion-euro ($173-billion) SAFE defense procurement program, giving Canadian companies access to joint procurement as Europe increases its defense spending.

The two sides have also discussed closer cooperation on energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and digital trade.

Carney stated that any enhanced partnership with the EU would be subjected to debate in Canada’s Parliament and ultimately put to a final vote.

"The policies and rhetoric of the Trump administration are clearly pushing both Canada and the EU to imagine a world without strong U.S. leadership and to act accordingly," said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.

Nelson Wiseman, a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, said Europeans have long seen Canada as a country that understands the United States particularly well, given their deep economic and political ties.

Carney's willingness to resist Trump rather than quickly accept Washington's demands has reinforced that perception, he said.

"Carney's astuteness in his dealings with Trump has captured Europe's attention," Wiseman remarked.