Minister of National Defence David McGuinty responds to questions at the Liberal caucus meeting in Edmonton on Sept. 10, 2025. The Canadian Press/Amber Bracken
Canada’s Defence Minister David McGuinty says Ottawa has officially joined the European Union’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program that offers loans to member states to boost their military capabilities.
It comes about a year after Prime Minister Mark Carney signed a strategic defence and security partnership agreement with the EU, and just over two months since Canada’s role in the program was finalized. In a joint statement issued in December, Carney and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said that Canada joining the SAFE program was “symbolic of the shared priorities” of the EU and Canada.
