Responding to Trump’s comments, the Commission was keen to stress the move was not intended to antagonize.

“The proposed strengthening of our partnership with Canada is not against anyone else, but for our common strength,” said Deputy Chief Spokesperson Olof Gill.

Trump’s threats drew a more robust response from Kathleen Van Brempt, the Belgian vice chair of the European Parliament’s trade committee.

“Trump has no veto over our future. We will not be pressured into abandoning that cooperation,” she said. “That Trump has immediately resorted to threats of this severity speaks volumes. It shows precisely why closer cooperation between Europe and Canada is wise and necessary. He does not think the idea is ridiculous. He fears it.”

Von der Leyen’s bombshell offer of associate membership to Canada has left the Commission isolated. The EU’s biggest countries have raised concerns about the untried concept, which appeared to be aimed at showcasing closer ties between Brussels and Ottawa as their trade relations with the United States come under strain.

The EU has no existing model for associate membership, while any decision on full membership would involve the Council, the bloc’s intergovernmental arm, and require the European Parliament’s consent.