European leaders meet in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, on Monday, in the presence of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in what represents a sign of the growing rapprochement between Ottawa and Europe, which has been strengthened by the policies of US President Donald Trump. The meeting will be followed by a summit between the European Union and Armenia.

Published on: 04/05/2026 - 11:16 Last updated: 04/05/2026 - 11:49

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European leaders will hold a meeting in Armenia, on Monday, attended by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, in an effort to deal with a new geopolitical situation after the war in Iran deepened the rift in transatlantic relations.

Washington's decision to withdraw five thousand American soldiers from Germany within a year has strengthened doubts about Washington's commitment to defending its European allies, as the Russian war on Ukraine enters its fifth year.

The Yerevan Summit is the first of its kind in the Caucasus region, and at a time when Armenia is working to strengthen its relations with Europe and reduce its dependence on Russia. In addition to the EU countries, the forum brings together 21 other countries in this session, from Albania to Britain, noting that no concrete decisions will be issued from the meeting, although it provides leaders with an opportunity to exchange views in joint and bilateral sessions.

A sign of the growing rapprochement between Ottawa and Europe

In a first of its kind, Carney will join the meeting in what represents a sign of the growing rapprochement between Ottawa and Europe, which has been reinforced by Trump's policies, as, like Europe, the Canadian economy has been harmed by the tariffs imposed by the US President.

In a speech earlier this year, Carney urged middle powers to come together in the face of a new global reality marked by major power competition and the “erosion” of the rules-based international order.

“Initially, the EPC was seen as an anti-Russian President Vladimir Putin club,” said Sebastien Maillard, special advisor at the Jacques Delors Research Institute. However, “with the invitation extended to Canada, this initiative, which was originally based on geography, has now taken an anti-Trump turn.”

Strengthening trade cooperation

As part of its effort to diversify its partnerships away from its southern neighbour, Ottawa joined the European Defense Financing Mechanism, becoming the first non-European country to do so, and also worked to enhance trade cooperation.

The European Political Community, a biannual political forum, was created at the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron in 2022 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The meeting will be followed on Tuesday by a summit between the European Union and Armenia with the participation of the bloc’s senior officials: European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who described the summit as a “major turning point” in the path of rapprochement between Yerevan and Brussels.

Armenia between Russia and the West

Relations between Yerevan and its traditional ally, Moscow, have witnessed increasing tension in recent years, while Armenia has officially adopted what Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan describes as a “diversification” policy, as it seeks to build balanced relations with both Russia and the West.

Costa said that the European Union is looking forward to "deepening this relationship" with the country with a population of about three million people, which signed a comprehensive partnership agreement with the bloc in 2017, and announced last year its intention to apply to join the bloc.

With AFP

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