Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled a C$35 billion ($25.7 billion) plan on Thursday to bolster Canada's defenses in the Arctic region, aiming to decrease reliance on the United States. The initiative comes amid strained ties with the U.S., including President Donald Trump's tariffs and comments about annexing Canada.
Key Takeaways
Canada announced a $35 billion plan to boost defenses in its vast Arctic region, aiming to reduce reliance on the U.S. Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled the initiative in Yellowknife, emphasizing sovereignty and climate change impacts.
- Canada plans to invest $32 billion in expanding military airfields and operational support hubs in the Arctic.
- The move comes amid strained ties with the U.S., including President Donald Trump's tariffs and comments about annexing Canada.
- Carney aims to hit NATO's 2% military spending target five years earlier than planned.
- Climate change is warming the Arctic nearly three times faster than the global average, attracting interest from great powers.
- The plan includes upgrading commercial airports and fast-tracking roads connecting the Arctic to southern regions.
The Canadian Arctic covers 4.4 million square km (1.7 million square miles) of land and sea—larger than India—and is almost completely uninhabited. Carney emphasized that Canada will no longer depend on any one nation for its security, stating, "We will take full responsibility for defending our Arctic sovereignty."
Even before Trump re-entered the White House last year, Canada had been under pressure from the U.S. to increase defense spending. The country plans to hit NATO's 2% military spending target five years earlier than planned.
Carney highlighted that climate change is causing the Arctic region to warm nearly three times faster than the global average, attracting interest from great powers. The plan includes investing C$32 billion to expand military airfields and build four operational support hubs. It also involves upgrading two commercial airports and fast-tracking roads connecting the Arctic to southern regions.
The announcement was made in Yellowknife, capital of the Northwest Territories and home to Canada's Arctic military command. Carney is due to fly to northern Norway later on Thursday to observe biennial NATO drills.
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