Melting sea ice and warming temperatures in the Arctic will “fundamentally” shift the security challenges facing Canada and NATO allies in the region as Russia and China forge deeper strategic ties, warns the head of the military alliance.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday from a Canadian Forces air base in Cold Lake, Alta., in a press conference that saw both leaders highlighting the need to recognize rapidly changing security threats in the High Arctic.
“Climate change is making the High North more important because the ice is melting and it becomes more accessible — both for economic activity and for military activity,” said Stoltenberg.
“It will require us to transform, fundamentally, our approach to security and defence, and Canada has an unrivalled understanding of this.”
He pointed to Russian remilitarization of their Arctic bases and strong interest from China, which has claimed it is a “near-Arctic” state, as risks that cannot be ignored as the two countries deepen their ties.
The closer relations between Moscow and Beijing come as both governments increasingly seek to challenge the international laws and institutions that form the foundation of global stability and trade following the sharp international retaliation over Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
“This forms part of the deep and strategic partnership that challenges our values and interests,” said Stoltenberg. “Our response is a strong and predictable allied presence in the region.”
Trudeau suggested recent months have made it clear that Canada cannot take Arctic security for granted, but emphasized several times that the presence of the NATO chief did not represent a shift in Canadian policy around defence of the region.
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