alt Hacker NewsBluster has a connotation of empty threats and loudness for the sake fo loudness.
Canada has been making real moves, and doing it quietly. In the past year non-US exports have grown by a record 11%. New trade and defense deals have been signed with more than 20 countries.
Whatever is going on in Ottawa, bluster is not the word for it.
Not Canada, it is Von Der Leyen who took upon herself to use this "associate member" term and even EU countries are surprised not least because of basically whhat I explained earlier [1].
[1] https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-capitals-mark-carney-ursu...