Mark Carney said in Yerevan on 2026-05-04 that Europe can serve as the base for rebuilding the international order, as leaders gathered in Armenia against a backdrop of strain in transatlantic ties and wider security concerns. [1]
Carney, the Canadian prime minister, was the first non-European leader to attend the European Political Community meeting in Yerevan. He told the summit: "We don’t think that we’re destined to submit to a more transactional, insular and brutal world, and gatherings such as these point to a better way forward." He added: "It is my strong personal view that the international order will be rebuilt, but it will be rebuilt out of Europe." [1]
The meeting was designed to show Europe’s resolve to stop Armenia being pulled back into Russia’s sphere of influence. It also took place as tensions rose in the Strait of Hormuz and questions grew about US commitment to NATO after Donald Trump decided to withdraw over 5,000 troops from Germany. [1]
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there was more tension in alliances than he would like and that the strain would shape international relations for a generation. French President Emmanuel Macron said Europeans were taking their destiny into their own hands by increasing defence spending and building common solutions. [1]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia faces a critical summer choice between widening the war and pursuing diplomacy. He said it would be a crucial moment "to expand the war or move to diplomacy." [1]
The Yerevan gathering opened on 2026-05-04. Leaders were expected to keep pressing security and defence concerns at the meeting as Europe faces pressure on multiple fronts. [1]
