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Arctic Defense Tightens as Canada and Five Nordic Nations Deepen Cooperation
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Canada and the five Nordic countries agreed to deepen cooperation on Arctic security, defense production, resilient infrastructure, and support for Ukraine during a meeting in Oslo.
This is according to a joint statement by the Prime Ministers of the Nordic countries and Canada on March 15.
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The statement, issued after talks between Canada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland, framed the move as a response to heightened geopolitical tensions and growing security risks in the High North.
The authorities committed to meeting more regularly and expanding coordination on defense, economic security, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, satellite and space technology, and supply chains.
The six countries also pledged to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defense posture in the Arctic, backing enhanced vigilance activity in the region and welcoming exercises including Arctic Sentry, COLD RESPONSE, Operation NANOOK, and Arctic Endurance.
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They stated they would work to ramp up defense industrial capacity, improve interoperability, respond to hybrid threats, and develop dual-use technologies.
“We are committed to NATO’s effort to bolster the Alliance’s presence, deterrence and defence in the Arctic, and to further develop the strong collaboration to the benefit of all Allies,” the joint statement read.
The heads also stressed that Ukraine’s security is integral to European and Euro-Atlantic security and urged members of the Coalition of the Willing to increase support for Kyiv.
The announcement also aligns with a series of large-scale NATO exercises underway across the High North. One such drill began on March 9 across northern Finland, Norway, and Sweden, with Norway leading a roughly two-week exercise involving about 25,000 troops from 14 NATO countries.
The maneuvers are focused on reinforcing the alliance’s northern flank, improving coordination in harsh Arctic conditions, and testing how quickly forces can be deployed.
Around 4,000 personnel from the US, France, Italy, Great Britain, and Sweden are taking part in the Finnish segment of the exercise. US forces in Europe described the drills as part of a broader effort to expand allied military presence in the Arctic and strengthen NATO’s strategic position in the region.
The exercise follows a series of increasingly regular military drills in Finland since it joined NATO after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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