UK and Canada Leaders Discuss AI Risks, Online Safety and Defence Ties
British PM Andy Burnham and Canadian PM Mark Carney discussed AI challenges, online safety and deepening defence cooperation, Downing Street said.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have discussed the opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence, agreeing that governments and the technology sector must collaborate to address shared concerns and protect online safety, Downing Street said.
The two leaders also examined ways to deepen defence cooperation, including the complementary roles of the Multilateral Defence Mechanism and the Canada-led Defence Security Resilience Bank. The DSRB has struggled to win backing from larger European nations, and Britain and Germany had previously kept their distance from the project. UK finance minister Rachel Reeves told parliament in June that the country was now "working closely" with Canada on the initiative.
Both prime ministers stressed the value of building close ties with European partners, especially on trade and defence. Canada, which is looking to diversify its defence relationships beyond the United States, has formally applied to join the British-led Joint Expeditionary Force military coalition.
Earlier, the two leaders met in northern England, where they discussed opportunities for defence-industrial cooperation through the Global Combat Air Programme, an advanced fighter jet initiative that Canada joined as an observer in July 2026, according to Carney's office.