PM Mark Carney announces Ottawa’s bid to join Joint Expeditionary Force as Canada seeks deeper defence cooperation with European nations
Liverpool, September 17, 2026: Canada has formally applied to join the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a UK-led defence coalition comprising 10 Northern European NATO member states, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office confirmed.
Carney made the announcement after meeting UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Liverpool on September 16. According to the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office, the two leaders discussed strengthening the defence and security partnership between Canada and the United Kingdom, with Carney welcoming British support for Canada’s participation in the JEF.
The development comes as Ottawa works to deepen its defence and economic engagement with European partners. Canada is already a member of NATO, while its application to the JEF would provide another framework for military cooperation with several European allies. Reuters reported that Canada is seeking to diversify its defence partnerships and reduce its reliance on the United States.
Which countries are part of the JEF?
The Joint Expeditionary Force currently consists of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
The UK serves as the framework nation of the coalition. The JEF focuses on military cooperation, interoperability, joint training and the ability of participating countries to respond quickly to regional security challenges. Its forces can also contribute to larger international operations, including those conducted through NATO and the United Nations.
Canada had been invited more than a decade ago
Canada’s latest application comes more than a decade after Ottawa was previously invited by the UK to participate in the initiative.
The JEF concept was discussed around the 2014 NATO summit in Wales, but the Canadian government under then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper ultimately did not join the initiative. The current application marks a renewed Canadian interest in the UK-led defence framework.
Canada and UK discuss defence cooperation
During their Liverpool meeting, Carney and Burnham also discussed opportunities for defence-industrial cooperation through the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). Canada joined the programme as an observer in July 2026.
The two countries are also working on the BATUS Future Project, which aims to establish a new permanent arrangement to modernise the British Army Training Unit Suffield in Canada. The project is intended to support the development and testing of new equipment and advanced technologies.
Beyond defence, the leaders discussed strengthening economic cooperation and expanding collaboration in frontier technologies, including the safe and responsible development and use of artificial intelligence.
Canada moves toward closer European engagement
Canada’s JEF application comes amid broader efforts by Ottawa to strengthen ties with Europe. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also proposed making Canada the European Union’s first associate member, although the proposed status would require further discussion and has no established legal framework at present.
For Canada, the JEF application represents a new step in its defence engagement with European partners, while the outcome of the membership application will depend on the coalition’s participating countries and formal process.
Source: ANI / Babushahi Network, Reuters
