TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is heading to Europe in the middle of a trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump, seeking a deeper relationship with the European Union that could give Canadians greater freedom to work and study there.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is negotiating to become an "associate member" of the European Union, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

U.S. trade talks at a standstill and Donald Trump's continued musings about making an all-North America U.S. territory, Mark Carney is heading to Europe with plans to pursue a 'unique' transatlantic alliance.

Carney debunked rumours that Canada is looking for quasi-EU membership while responding to a reporter’s question on Sunday.

Carney will speak to lawmakers on Thursday at 11.30 a.m. as he seeks closer ties with the EU amid deteriorating relations with Washington. He is expected to set out his wishlist for Brussels ahead of a Canada-EU summit in October. The address comes a day after he will attend von der Leyen’s annual State of the Union speech.

Canada Intensifying Efforts to Join EU as US Trade Fight Intensifies

In a rapidly changing world, Canada’s new government is focused on what we can control. We are building our strength at home and diversifying our partnerships abroad. Our European allies are natural partners in this effort.

Prime Minister Mark Carney described Canada as the “most European of non-European countries” at a joint summit in Brussels last summer. This eye-raising remark led some political pundits and columnists (including me) to speculate that his personal mission wasn’t to improve relations with the U.