Canadians want closer military ties with Europe, less reliance on the United States

A study by the Angus Reid Institute has found that Canadians want Canada to have closer military ties with Europe, with less reliance on the United States.

60% of Canadians agree that Canada needs to move away from relying on the United States and sign onto Readiness 2030 (formerly ReArm Europe), a strategic defence initiative proposed by the European Commission.

Just 23% of Canadians — almost all of whom voted Conservative in the last election — would rather Canada stay close to the United States.

“Part of Canada’s renewed focus on defence and military spending is cooperation with European partners through ‘Readiness 2030,’ in which European Union member states will vastly increase defence spending and manufacturing to strengthen capacity and relieve the United States of much of its ‘burden’ in defending the region. Prime Minister Mark Carney has publicly supported the idea of joining the European rearmament plan by Canada Day, also looking to move away from reliance on the United States as Canada’s military protector. Canadians show a clear preference for allyship with Europe rather than the U.S. under the Trump administration. Views diverge among Conservatives, but are consistently pro-ReArm Europe among others.”

The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from June 2 to 8, 2025, among a randomized sample of 4,067 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum.

---

For our latest in news, please visit the News section.