Canada is strengthening its presence in the Arctic to confront Russian and Chinese threats

Canada is beefing up its presence in the Arctic to counter what it calls “threats from Russia” and other countries seeking to find a foothold in the Far North, as part of a new doctrine unveiled last week.

The Ottawa government is considering deploying new patrol ships, naval destroyers, icebreakers, and submarines capable of operating under ice sheets, in addition to more reconnaissance aircraft and drones.

In cooperation with the United States, Canada is modernizing continental defences, including monitoring northern approaches with new marine sensors and satellites.

The foreign policy document notes that Ottawa has sought for years to manage the Arctic cooperatively with other countries, and to keep it free of military competition. Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie said in a press conference: “The barriers that prevent conflicts are under increasingly enormous pressure.” “The Arctic is no longer a low-stress area,” she added. It blamed Russian activity in the Arctic and deepening geopolitical rivalries.

The minister said, “Russia is also cooperating in the Far North with China, which seeks greater influence in managing the region.”

The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the world. This opens new opportunities for shipping and exploration of resources, such as oil, gas and minerals.

Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair warned that increased access increases security challenges. He said that the “revised” Canadian doctrine calls for strengthening military capabilities to conduct and support operations in the Arctic, where extreme cold, unpredictable storms, long periods of darkness, and drifting sea ice pose severe risks.

Ottawa will also seek deeper cooperation, including more joint military exercises, with allied Scandinavian countries that are now members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), with the recent addition of Finland and Sweden.

Canada has highlighted recent increased Russian activity along the edges of North American airspace. Blair described Russian weapons testing and the deployment of missile systems in the Arctic – capable of striking North America and Europe – as “deeply worrying.”

Canada accused China of regularly deploying ships equipped with dual-use civilian and military research capabilities in the North to collect data. In response, Canada will now apply security screening to foreign research in its Arctic region, while Ottawa explores ways to deepen Arctic cooperation with Japan and South Korea, similar to the Allied Indo-Pacific Partnership.

Canada will also create a new ambassador position to the Arctic, and open consulates in Alaska and Greenland, for America and Denmark, respectively, as it seeks to settle a border dispute with the United States, in the Beaufort Sea, and conclude a deal with Denmark to divide Hans Island. In 2022, Canada and Denmark agreed to establish the first land border between Canada and Europe on the small, barren, uninhabited section of the Arctic. About the Guardian

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Sustainable budget

Within the framework of a new foreign policy aimed at dealing with the accelerating geopolitical transformations in the Arctic, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie explained in Ottawa, accompanied by the Ministers of National Defense and Northern Affairs, that this initiative comes in response to the growing challenges resulting from climate change, the Russian-Ukrainian war, and competition. Increasing numbers of non-polar countries.

“Canada is at a crossroads in the Arctic,” Jolie said. For a long time, we have sought to maintain it as a zone free of military tensions, but these guarantees have become less effective. The new policy includes initial investments worth $34.7 million over five years, and a sustainable budget of $7 million annually.

. Canada has sought for years to manage the Arctic cooperatively with other countries, keeping it free of military competition.