Canada says Russia’s Ukraine invasion has transformed threats to Canadian Arctic

Threats facing Canada’s Arctic have “shifted significantly” amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and changing global security concerns, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says.

Despite political tensions between Ottawa and Washington, Anand told Global News that Canada and the US continue to work closely on Arctic security and sovereignty.

Anand said she attended a meeting of Arctic nations hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week, where officials “had a frank discussion about the collective need to work together on Arctic security.”

“So the United States is very much at the table in this conversation,” Anand told Global News.

She said Canada and the US were also discussing how their shared Arctic interests could be advanced through NATO and other international organizations.

Anand pointed to increased Canadian defence spending, including plans for up to 12 new submarines and a pending decision on fighter jets, as important to northern security.

She also said Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine had changed how governments assess threats beyond Europe.