BRUSSELS — The European Commission sprang into damage-control mode Thursday over its surprise offer to bring Canada on board as the EU’s first “associate member” — a proposal that immediately triggered U.S. President Donald Trump’s wrath. Trump threatened to impose “very heavy tariffs” if the proposal goes through, warning that he could treat European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen’s audacious offer to Ottawa as a “hostile act.” Von der Leyen proposed upgrading relations with Ottawa during her annual State of the Union speech in Strasbourg on Wednesday, saying the move would help to “urgently reimagine our partnerships” and “build global coalitions for our resilience and democracies.
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