OTTAWA — Canada is accelerating efforts to deepen its economic and strategic ties with Europe as trade tensions with the United States reach their highest level in decades, according to a Wall Street Journal report Sunday.Prime Minister Mark Carney has held talks with European leaders, including those in France, Germany and Italy, on ways to bring Canada closer to the European Union without pursuing full membership, the report said.Canadian officials are examining a possible “associate membership” arrangement that could provide closer access to the EU’s $21 trillion single market, particularly in strategic sectors including energy, artificial intelligence, critical minerals and defense.US President Donald Trump’s efforts to gain control of Greenland and the US war with Iran have strengthened the case among some European leaders for closer ties with Canada, according to the report.Carney has expanded his outreach to leaders traditionally closer to Trump, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, while maintaining frequent contacts with French President Emmanuel Macron and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.By the summer, Canadian and European officials had stepped up discussions through several diplomatic channels. During preliminary G7 meetings in France, officials identified 11 areas for deeper cooperation aimed at reducing dependence on US technology, defense equipment and trade.Carney’s meeting with Macron in Paris ahead of the G7 summit in Evian in June reportedly surprised French officials with the speed and scale of Canada’s proposals.At the same time, Carney maintained frequent contact with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as Canada and Germany finalized negotiations over Ottawa’s planned $25 billion purchase of German submarines.Discussions on closer ties could also cover easier movement of workers, expanded research and university exchanges, data centers, undersea cables, cloud infrastructure and satellite networks.Carney is also seeking stronger energy links with Europe, including infrastructure that could enable Canadian natural gas to reach European markets and help reduce reliance on Russian energy.The initiative is part of Ottawa’s effort to reduce its heavy economic dependence on the United States. About two-thirds of Canadian exports currently go to its southern neighbor, making diversification a major economic challenge.Carney, a former governor of the Bank of England, is betting that deeper European ties could help Canada withstand pressure from Washington while reshaping its longstanding economic orientation toward the US.European governments, however, have approached the proposals cautiously, with some concerned that a major shift in Canada-EU relations could further strain relations with Washington.