European Parliament Approves Canada to Join SAFE Defense Lending Pact

The European Parliament has formally approved Canada’s accession to a major European defense lending program, marking the first time a non-European nation has been admitted to the pact. The final vote, held on Wednesday, clears the way for Canada to join the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) agreement, a framework valued at approximately 240 billion Canadian dollars.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand stated that membership will grant Canadian defense firms access to procurement competitions traditionally reserved for European companies. The SAFE program provides member nations with low-interest loans for purchasing military equipment. It is a central component of the broader ReArm Europe initiative, which seeks to bolster the continent's indigenous defense industrial base and reduce its military reliance on the United States.

The development follows a recent announcement by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump that it plans to withdraw roughly 5,000 American troops from Europe by canceling deployments to Poland and Germany. While not directly linked, the troop reduction has underscored European discussions about strategic autonomy.