New Zealand has not discussed becoming an associate member of the European Union, a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said, after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed exploring Canada as the bloc’s first associate member. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney backed a broader partnership covering trade, defense, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, research, financial services and digital trade as Ottawa seeks resilience beyond the United States. The EU has no formal associate-membership category, and neither side is proposing full Canadian membership. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said Australia and New Zealand could also deepen ties with the bloc, while Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell said Australia supported Canada’s effort. US President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs or trade restrictions if the arrangement is pursued with what he considers bad intentions, while the next major milestone is a Canada-EU summit scheduled for Oct. 29-30 in Montreal.