Good morning. Salesmanship and sovereignty are the focus for Canada this week. More on that below, along with the state of Québécois film and the situation with Russian oil.

Ottawa wants to forge deeper trade, investment, security, data and labour ties with the European Union − but not at the expense of Canadian sovereignty, a senior government official says. Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to travel to Strasbourg, France, where he will address the European Parliament Thursday and pitch Canada as a viable partner.

Reports say: The Wall Street Journal said the Prime Minister had suggested to EU leaders that Canada take on the title “associate member of the European Union” and that the EU was open to the idea. But the Canadian government source said it was the EU, not Carney, that floated the title, though determining what sort of official ties Canada would have to the EU is wildly premature.

Up next: Carney is also set to meet with his British counterpart for the first time this week. French President Emmanuel Macron will also meet with Carney in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon next week to discuss energy and defence partnerships. The Prime Minister’s Office says he will travel to the French territory off the coast of Newfoundland on Sept. 20.

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly says she expects that large foreign-investment funds will announce deals at this week’s high-level summit in Toronto. The Prime Minister’s pitch to the world’s top investors will be the ultimate test, and answer to a question: Is Carney a closer?

The details: The summit will take place today and tomorrow at Toronto’s Four Seasons Hotel, where the heads of major investment funds from around the world will gather to hear about Canadian projects.

New this morning: Both TD and Scotiabank are stepping up for Canadian business. TD is committing $150-billion to fund Canadian companies in critical sectors over the next five years and Scotiabank is committing $100-billion in financing.

Keep reading:

• Investment summit will test Carney’s Persian Gulf trade strategy
• Foreign money is flooding into Canada. But a closer look reveals much of it is coming from the U.S.
• The summit poses unique security challenges with a protest and other major events planned

President Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries and other infrastructure used to produce and distribute diesel, saying the attacks are causing a global shortage. On Friday, diesel prices in the U.S. hit a record high, soaring past US$6 a gallon on average.

The context: Fuel prices are weighing on Americans as they prepare to vote in midterm elections in November, but the global crunch also came after the U.S. war on Iran curtailed oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Ukraine has been targeting Russia’s oil and gas industry, prompting fuel rationing across the country and causing Moscow to ban diesel exports in July.

The Québécois cinema industry thrives inside its own provincial borders, and rarely makes a dent outside of them, but it has now become crucial to the battle for Canadian cultural sovereignty in the trade war. While French filmmakers are snapping up awards across the world stage, the situation at the box office is a different story – and Québécois productions will have a tough time competing against Hollywood at the Toronto International Film Festival this year.