Canada has joined a multibillion-dollar European Union defence fund, becoming the first non-European country to do so, as Ottawa looks to diversify its military spending away from the United States .

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday that participation in the EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative would give Canadian defence companies “tremendous opportunities” from increased access to the European market in a “dangerous and divided world”.

“Canada’s participation in SAFE will fill key capability gaps, expand markets for Canadian suppliers, and attract European defence investment into Canada,” Carney said in a statement.

“This is the next step in our deepening cooperation and symbolic of the shared priorities of the European Union and Canada,” Carney said i

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