Overview
- Prime Ministers Mark Carney and Andy Burnham met in Liverpool on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, holding private talks in Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium before watching the match together.
- Carney announced that Canada has formally applied to join the U.K.-led Joint Expeditionary Force as part of a move to deepen military ties with Britain.
- Ottawa and London have opened active negotiations to link or merge Canada’s Defence, Security and Resilience Bank with the U.K.’s Multilateral Defence Mechanism, though no final agreement has been signed.
- The leaders agreed to step up cooperation on artificial intelligence and defence industrial projects, including practical ties to the Global Combat Air Programme and plans to modernize the British Army Training Unit Suffield.
- The talks reflect a broader Canadian push to diversify security and economic partnerships with European and Atlantic allies and could speed allied financing for equipment and procurement if negotiations and partner approvals succeed.