Canada’s Foreign Minister said the country now has a “united front” against Russia in the Arctic, as the territorial spats decades ago were resolved with Denmark.
Canada and Denmark signed an agreement on Tuesday to resolve the dispute over Hans Island in the Arctic, and Melanie Joly told Russia’s President Vladimir Putin that diplomatic resolution is better than power. He said he would send a message.
“Now we have a united front before (Putin),” she said, saying Canada is very aware that Russia is its neighbor.
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The agreement is expected to divide the uninhabited island into Ellesmere Island in Nunavut and Greenland, the autonomous territory of Denmark. This agreement means that Canada will share its border with Denmark for the first time.
Jolly pointed out that seven of the eight Arctic countries are part of NATO, including Denmark, or will soon be part of a military alliance.
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However, she said she had no plans to militarize the Arctic Circle.
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“We can’t fall into the trap of militarizing the Arctic Circle,” she said. “This is very important to us Canadians.”
Her comments came after Canadian authorities expressed security concerns about Arctic Russia and China, as climate change makes it easier to navigate the region.
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“Russia and China are national actors that pose the greatest threat to Canada and other western interests in the Arctic,” said Maj. Gen. Michael Wright, Canadian Armed Forces Defense Intelligence Director, told Global News earlier in March.
“As sea ice melts, access to the area and related tactics are increasing, which will have a significant impact on the security situation in the Arctic Circle.”
Meanwhile, Canadian Defense Secretary General Wayne Eyre said in March that Russia’s reoccupation of an abandoned Cold War base in the region and protection of the northern side of NATO was a “significant concern” for Canadian troops. Stated.
In April, Putin proposed an ambitious plan to secure Russia’s foothold in the Arctic, including the construction of new ports and other infrastructure, and the expansion of the icebreaker fleet.
Jolly said the Arctic Council, an international forum in the region, met this week on Tuesday, hoping that momentum will continue to understand the next steps. Composed of Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland, the United States and Russia, Russia was not invited to a recent conference in protest of the war in Ukraine.
“In the meantime, we hope Russia will comply with the rules and ultimately keep the Arctic Circle in a low-tension area,” Jolly said.
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Canada now has a “united front” against Putin in the Arctic: Jolly-National
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