According to the Global Network citing the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) report on the 14th local time, Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty stated that Canada has now officially joined the "Security Action in Europe" (SAFE) plan launched by the European Union. The program provides loans to member states to invest in defense capabilities.
David McGuinty data map source: Visual China
CBC said that McGuinty said in a statement to the media: "This agreement strengthens our collective security, supports the development of critical defense capabilities, and allows Canadian industry to enter the European defense market while contributing to the security of Europe and Ukraine." He also mentioned that Canada is the only non-European country to join the plan.
The report mentioned that Canadian Prime Minister Carney signed a Strategic Defense and Security Partnership Agreement with the European Union less than a year ago, and the agreement included joining the SAFE program.
According to a previous report by China National Defense News, the "European Security Action" defense financing plan is led by the European Union and aims to provide a total of 150 billion euros (approximately US$174.7 billion) in financial support for participating countries to purchase defense equipment. The funds mainly come from EU financial allocations and joint capital injections from participating countries.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that joining the program aims to broaden defense cooperation channels through the joint military procurement loan mechanism. This move is expected to bring potential orders worth billions of dollars to Canadian military industrial companies, covering areas such as ammunition production and equipment maintenance. It will also attract European suppliers to build factories in Canada and enhance the supporting capabilities of the local defense industry.
For the EU, Canada's accession has multiple implications. In addition to bringing additional capital injection and military R&D resources, as a member of NATO and an important North American economy, Canada's participation will enhance the international influence of the plan, lay the foundation for attracting non-European countries such as Australia to join in the future, and further expand the scope of the European defense system.
Public opinion generally believes that Canada's move is not to "decouple" from the US military, but to seek a strategic balance between the United States and Europe. On the one hand, Canada and the United States have close geopolitical ties. Both countries are members of NATO, the G7, and the "Five Eyes Alliance" and jointly lead the operations of the North American Aerospace Defense Command. Canada is still pushing to join the U.S. "Golden Dome" missile defense program in the near future. On the other hand, the EU currently has no mature fifth-generation fighter jets available for export. Compared with the JAS-39 "Griffin" fighter jet, the F-35 fighter jet has many technical advantages. Canada still needs to comprehensively consider technology and other factors when purchasing major equipment.
