Canada ramps up Arctic defense amid Russian tensions

"Canada will open consulates in Alaska and Greenland, appoint an Arctic ambassador and continue its boundary negotiations with the United States over the Beaufort Sea," Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly reported on Friday.

"We are in a tough world, and we need to be tough in our response," she emphasized, noting that many countries not directly connected to the Arctic are trying to play a greater role in the region. "Competition is growing across the globe, and the Arctic is not immune. Many countries, including non-Arctic states, aspire for a greater role in Arctic affairs," said Joly, pointing to rising tensions, including incursions from Russia.

The Canadian Arctic covers 40% of the country's territory and over 70% of its coastline. The new foreign policy, developed in collaboration with provinces, territories, and Indigenous peoples, also includes consultations with Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the USA, which Ottawa has termed "like-minded states."

Canada also underscores the role of Indigenous peoples in security matters, aiming to include them in responses to foreign influences after years of being excluded from such decisions.

Canada's actions in the Arctic are to be based on ensuring sovereignty, promoting the country's interests "through pragmatic diplomacy," and maintaining a leading position in Arctic territorial decisions. The need for a "more inclusive approach to Arctic diplomacy" was also emphasized, according to the announcement from the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Canada acknowledges Russia as the most significant strategic challenge in the Arctic. The Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2022 has changed the geopolitical landscape, and its effects are also felt in the Arctic region. "It is an attack not only against Ukraine, but also on the fundamental principles of international relations, including respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law," stated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the communiqué.

In the Canadian government’s view, Russia's attack on Ukraine poses the risk of "setting a broader post-Cold-War precedent that borders can be redrawn through violence."

The government document also highlighted Russia's proximity, noting that a military base on Ellesmere Island is closer to the Russian base in Nagurskoye than it is to the cities of Toronto and Winnipeg.

For over a decade, Russia has been investing in infrastructure and military capabilities in the Arctic, treating northern shipping routes as a key transport corridor. Canada anticipates that Russia will continue these actions, including conducting disinformation campaigns. Such campaigns are already being conducted in Canada to justify the military strengthening of the Arctic, portraying the West as "hostile [and] unfriendly."

Canada's strategy highlights the growing cooperation between Russia and China in the Arctic, including joint Arctic patrols. "Russia and China are aligned in their desire to undermine the liberal-rules-based international system," the document emphasized, also noting the growing dependence of Russia on China and the financial support of China for Russia's increased presence in the Arctic.

The document also underscores the "critical" interdependence of security between the Canadian Arctic and Europe's far North. "Russia has established a strong military presence in the Arctic, including with air and naval platforms equipped with missile systems capable of striking Europe and North America," while the persistent "testing" of the vigilance of other Arctic nations by Russia has been deemed "deeply troubling" by Canada.

In April 2024, Ottawa announced a new defense strategy under which, over the next five years, Canada will allocate more than 5.5 billion US dollars for defense. After this period, over the next 15 years, these expenditures are expected to increase to a total of 51.5 billion US dollars.