EU to create an “associate” program for Canada
The bloc is looking to deepen ties with the Great White North as both sides adjust to unprecedented hostility from their traditional main ally, the US. The Trump administration has threatened Canada’s sovereignty, pulled back support for NATO, demanded control of Greenland, and waged trade wars against both Ottawa and Brussels. Canada’s PM, Mark Carney, has taken a pugnacious “elbows up” approach to dealing with Trump, and called on the world’s “middle powers” to unite. Canadians overwhelmingly support closer ties with Europe, and both sides are looking for a long-term hedge against a suddenly unreliable US. But Brussels will need to tread carefully: offering too many benefits to Canada could dilute the meaning of real EU membership, rankle other European candidates waiting to formally join the bloc, or provoke Trump into even more antagonistic actions.
US plans to send more weapons to Israel
The US announced plans on Tuesday to sell $2.8 billion worth of new weapons to Israel, including over 20,000 powerful MK-84 missiles, which Israel has been criticized for using around civilian areas during strikes in Gaza. The move demonstrates the Trump administration’s willingness to buck growing pressure from lawmakers and some voters to cut back support for Israel. The deal has been informally communicated to congressional committees that review major arms sales, but still needs to be officially voted on. That creates an interesting moment for Democrats: more than 100 House Democrats, including many former staunch allies of Israel like Rep. Nancy Pelosi, voted in July to end US aid to Israel – a position that’s gained traction among voters on the left. The proposed sale could be a preview of what Democrats’ foreign policy on Israel might look like if they win control of the chamber in November.
Georgia’s ruling party tries to ban opposition
Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream, has asked the Constitutional Court to ban all parliamentary opposition parties, deepening the country's political crisis. Georgian Dream argues that opposition parties have failed to “uphold constitutional order” and engaged in “destructive behavior” in parliament, while critics say the effort aims to consolidate the ruling party’s grip on power. Georgian PM Irakli Kobakhidze, the party’s leader, has faced accusations of drawing the country closer to Russia and away from potential EU membership, which it applied for in 2022. Widespread protests gripped Georgia in 2024 after parliament passed a Georgian Dream-proposed “foreign agent” law that requires NGOs and media organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as organizations “pursuing the interests of a foreign power.” After Georgian Dream won a parliamentary majority in the disputed 2024 elections, opposition parties rejected the results and boycotted their participation.
