European leaders and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are meeting in Armenia on Monday for a European Political Community summit focused on security and geopolitical tensions as uncertainty grows over US policy under President Donald Trump. The talks in Yerevan come amid strains over the Iran conflict, the war in Ukraine and shifting transatlantic ties.
Issued on: 04/05/2026 -
By: FRANCE 24
Video by: Taline OUNDJIAN
(From L) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Anand attend the 8th European Political Community summit in Yerevan on May 4, 2026. © Ludovic Marin, AFP
04:03
European leaders and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney gather in Armenia Monday as they seek to navigate a fraught geopolitical environment under an unpredictable White House.
US President Donald Trump will loom large over the meeting of the European Political Community (EPC). It takes place in Yerevan, a crossroads between Russia and the Middle East – the two main issues on the agenda.
"Leaders from across the continent, with Canada as a guest, will discuss how to cooperate to strengthen security and collective resilience," European Council President Antonio Costa wrote on social media as he arrived in the Armenian capital Sunday.
The Iran war, which has rattled the global economy by sending energy prices soaring, has deepened a rift in transatlantic ties.
Following a spat between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who had criticised Washington's handling of the conflict, the United States announced it would withdraw 5,000 US troops from Germany.
That has added to the doubts surrounding the US commitment to defend its European allies as Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine grinds into a fifth year.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO chief Mark Rutte will be present in Yerevan, while Merz will be represented by France's Emmanuel Macron.
04:03
European leaders and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney gather in Armenia Monday as they seek to navigate a fraught geopolitical environment under an unpredictable White House.
US President Donald Trump will loom large over the meeting of the European Political Community (EPC). It takes place in Yerevan, a crossroads between Russia and the Middle East – the two main issues on the agenda.
"Leaders from across the continent, with Canada as a guest, will discuss how to cooperate to strengthen security and collective resilience," European Council President Antonio Costa wrote on social media as he arrived in the Armenian capital Sunday.
The Iran war, which has rattled the global economy by sending energy prices soaring, has deepened a rift in transatlantic ties.
Following a spat between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who had criticised Washington's handling of the conflict, the United States announced it would withdraw 5,000 US troops from Germany.
That has added to the doubts surrounding the US commitment to defend its European allies as Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine grinds into a fifth year.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO chief Mark Rutte will be present in Yerevan, while Merz will be represented by France's Emmanuel Macron.
They will be joined by Canada's Carney – the first-ever non-European leader to join the EPC talks, in a sign of the ever-closer ties between Ottawa and Europe ushered in by Trump.
The summit "in a nutshell, will be an opportunity to emphasise that Europe's security is a 360-degree challenge", said a senior EU official.
Like Europe, Canada's economy has been hurt by Trump's tariffs – but Carney has remained defiant, emerging as something of a figurehead for countries looking to stand up to the Republican president.
In a stirring speech earlier this year, he urged middle powers to join forces in the face of a new global reality defined by great power competition and a "fading" rules‑based order.
"The EPC was initially perceived as an anti-Putin club," said Sebastien Maillard, a special adviser at the Jacques Delors Institute, a think tank.
"With the invitation to Canada, this initiative – which was initially driven by geography – is now taking on an anti-Trump slant."
Moving to diversify away from its southern neighbour, Ottawa has joined the EU's defence financing scheme – the first non-European country to do so – and sought to increase cooperation on trade.
"Canada has a way of looking at the world and looking at ways to solve the challenges we have currently that Europe shares to a great extent," said the EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
'Reorientation'
A biannual political forum, the EPC was established on the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron in 2022 in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
It brings together the members of the European Union and, this time, 21 other countries, from Albania to Britain.
EPC summits do not normally produce concrete decisions but offer the opportunity for leaders to exchange in groups and bilaterally. Most leaders arrived in the Armenian capital for an informal dinner on Sunday.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was expected to join the meeting on Monday, Madrid said, after a technical problem with his plane forced him to make an emergency landing in Turkey and spend the night in Ankara.
The Yerevan gathering is the first of its kind in the Caucasus and comes as Armenia fosters closer ties with Europe while seeking to cautiously loosen itself from Russia's grasp.
It will be followed Tuesday by an EU-Armenia summit with the bloc's chief officials Costa and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, who described it as a "major milestone" in the country's rapprochement with Europe.
Relations between Yerevan and its traditional ally Moscow have become strained in recent years, in part because Russian peacekeepers failed to intervene during military conflicts with neighbouring Azerbaijan.
Under Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia has formally pursued a strategy of what he calls "diversification", in which the landlocked country pursues ties with both Russia and the West.
Costa says the bloc looks forward to "deepening this relationship" with the country of three million, which signed a comprehensive partnership agreement with the EU in 2017 and last year declared its intention to apply for membership.
In April the EU established a mission to help the former Soviet nation tackle foreign interference, with Russia suspected of a disinformation push ahead of June elections.
Putin has declared himself "completely calm" about Armenia's overtures to Europe -- while also warning that belonging to both the EU and the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union was "simply impossible".
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Canada joins European summit in Armenia as leaders confront security challenges
European leaders are gathering in the Armenian capital Yerevan, alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, seeking to steady their footing in an increasingly fraught geopolitical landscape shaped in no small part by an unpredictable White House.
Issued on: 04/05/2026 - RFI
France's President Emmanuel Macron and Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney greet each other during the 8th European Political Community (EPC) summit in Yerevan on 4 May 2026. AFP - LUDOVIC MARIN
The meeting of the European Political Community – a relatively new forum designed to foster cooperation across the continent – is taking place this in Yerevan this Monday at a symbolic crossroads between Russia and the Middle East. Both regions, and the tensions surrounding them, are set to dominate the agenda.
US President Donald Trump will loom large over proceedings, even in absence. His administration’s recent moves have stirred unease among European allies and sharpened questions about the future of transatlantic relations.
“Leaders from across the continent, with Canada as a guest, will discuss how to cooperate to strengthen security and collective resilience,” European Council President Antonio Costa wrote on social media as he arrived in the Armenian capital on Sunday.
Transatlantic strains come into focus
The ongoing Iran war – which has driven energy prices sharply higher and unsettled global markets – has widened divisions between Europe and Washington. A recent spat between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have underscored the tension, after Merz criticised the US handling of the conflict.
In response, Washington announced plans to withdraw 5,000 US troops from Germany – a move that has only deepened doubts about America’s long-term commitment to defending its European allies.
Those concerns come as Russian President Vladimir Putin presses on with the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is attending the summit, alongside NATO chief Mark Rutte. Germany, meanwhile, is being represented by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The meeting of the European Political Community – a relatively new forum designed to foster cooperation across the continent – is taking place this in Yerevan this Monday at a symbolic crossroads between Russia and the Middle East. Both regions, and the tensions surrounding them, are set to dominate the agenda.
US President Donald Trump will loom large over proceedings, even in absence. His administration’s recent moves have stirred unease among European allies and sharpened questions about the future of transatlantic relations.
“Leaders from across the continent, with Canada as a guest, will discuss how to cooperate to strengthen security and collective resilience,” European Council President Antonio Costa wrote on social media as he arrived in the Armenian capital on Sunday.
Transatlantic strains come into focus
The ongoing Iran war – which has driven energy prices sharply higher and unsettled global markets – has widened divisions between Europe and Washington. A recent spat between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have underscored the tension, after Merz criticised the US handling of the conflict.
In response, Washington announced plans to withdraw 5,000 US troops from Germany – a move that has only deepened doubts about America’s long-term commitment to defending its European allies.
Those concerns come as Russian President Vladimir Putin presses on with the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is attending the summit, alongside NATO chief Mark Rutte. Germany, meanwhile, is being represented by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Canada’s presence adds a fresh dimension, as Prime Minister Mark Carney becomes the first non-European leader to join EPC talks – a sign of strengthening ties between Ottawa and European capitals, forged in part by shared friction with Washington.
Like many European economies, Canada has felt the impact of Trump’s tariffs. Yet Carney has struck a defiant tone, positioning himself as a leading voice among so-called middle powers seeking to navigate a world increasingly shaped by great power rivalry and what he has described as a “fading” rules-based order.
For some observers, the EPC itself is evolving in response. Once viewed primarily as a forum aligned against Moscow, it is now taking on a broader geopolitical character. “With the invitation to Canada, this initiative – initially driven by geography – is now taking on an anti-Trump slant,” said Sebastien Maillard of the Jacques Delors Institute.
Ottawa, for its part, has been quick to diversify its partnerships – joining the EU’s defence financing scheme SAFE as the first non-European participant and stepping up trade cooperation with the bloc.
Armenia’s pivot westwards
Beyond the wider geopolitical backdrop, the Yerevan summit also shines a spotlight on Armenia itself – a nation navigating its own reorientation.
The EPC, launched in 2022 at the initiative of Macron in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, brings together EU member states and 21 additional countries, from Albania to Britain. While it does not typically produce concrete decisions, it offers leaders a space for dialogue – both in formal sessions and on the sidelines.
This week’s gathering marks the first time the forum has been held in the Caucasus, underlining Armenia’s growing engagement with Europe. It will be followed by an EU–Armenia summit attended by Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who has described the meeting as a “major milestone”.
Relations between Yerevan and its traditional ally Moscow have become increasingly strained. Russia’s failure to intervene during recent conflicts with neighbouring Azerbaijan has fuelled frustration in Armenia and prompted a rethink of its strategic positioning.
Under Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the country has embraced a policy of “diversification” – seeking to balance ties with Russia while steadily deepening links with Europe. Armenia signed a comprehensive partnership agreement with the EU in 2017 and has since declared its intention to apply for membership.
In April, the EU launched a mission to help Armenia counter foreign interference, amid suspicions of a Russian disinformation campaign ahead of upcoming elections.
Putin has said he remains “completely calm” about Armenia’s overtures to Europe, but he has also issued a pointed reminder: membership of both the EU and the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, he warned, would be “simply impossible”.
(With newswires)
Beyond the wider geopolitical backdrop, the Yerevan summit also shines a spotlight on Armenia itself – a nation navigating its own reorientation.
The EPC, launched in 2022 at the initiative of Macron in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, brings together EU member states and 21 additional countries, from Albania to Britain. While it does not typically produce concrete decisions, it offers leaders a space for dialogue – both in formal sessions and on the sidelines.
This week’s gathering marks the first time the forum has been held in the Caucasus, underlining Armenia’s growing engagement with Europe. It will be followed by an EU–Armenia summit attended by Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who has described the meeting as a “major milestone”.
Relations between Yerevan and its traditional ally Moscow have become increasingly strained. Russia’s failure to intervene during recent conflicts with neighbouring Azerbaijan has fuelled frustration in Armenia and prompted a rethink of its strategic positioning.
Under Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the country has embraced a policy of “diversification” – seeking to balance ties with Russia while steadily deepening links with Europe. Armenia signed a comprehensive partnership agreement with the EU in 2017 and has since declared its intention to apply for membership.
In April, the EU launched a mission to help Armenia counter foreign interference, amid suspicions of a Russian disinformation campaign ahead of upcoming elections.
Putin has said he remains “completely calm” about Armenia’s overtures to Europe, but he has also issued a pointed reminder: membership of both the EU and the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, he warned, would be “simply impossible”.
(With newswires)
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