https://sputnikglobe.com/20240612/any-hostile-shift-in-canadas-arctic-strategy-will-harm-its-security-1118922318.html
Any Hostile Shift in Canada's Arctic Strategy Will Harm Its Security
Any Hostile Shift in Canada's Arctic Strategy Will Harm Its Security
Sputnik International
Russia doesn't see Canada as a threat in the Arctic but if the Trudeau cabinet shifts to a confrontational stance, it will harm Canada's security, Russian Ambassador Oleg Stepanov told Sputnik.
2024-06-12T22:29+0000
2024-06-12T22:29+0000
2024-06-12T22:29+0000
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The Canadian government is readying to release a new Arctic strategy to address what it perceives to be a growing Russian threat in the region, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told Bloomberg on Tuesday. The announcement came two months after National Defense released its defense policy update in which it emphasized that the most pressing task for Canada was to assert its sovereignty in its northern regions and the Arctic. Such a change would reflect a very near-sighted policy by Ottawa which would artificially create an adversary out of a neighbor – Russia – that happens to be a major military power, Stepanov said. The Arctic has become a contentious area and Moscow strongly advocates maintaining the status quo while it also seeks to avoid any militarization of the region, he added. The Ambassador further noted that bilateral contact between Moscow and Ottawa is null, something he attributed to the Trudeau cabinet's choice of cutting all political contacts with Russia. Minimal interaction is maintained multilaterally within the working groups of the Arctic Council, he continued. Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about the increased NATO military activities in the Arctic, saying that they raise the risk of unintended conflict in the region. Russia has also allowed for the possibility of withdrawing from the Arctic Council if this body’s activities do not meet its interests.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240601/how-northern-fleet-guards-russias-arctic-as-new-cold-war-heats-up-1118740169.html
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canada, arctic region, russian ambassador oleg stepanov, trudeau cabinet, russia canada relations, nato canada threat
canada, arctic region, russian ambassador oleg stepanov, trudeau cabinet, russia canada relations, nato canada threat
Any Hostile Shift in Canada's Arctic Strategy Will Harm Its Security
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Russia does not see Canada as a threat in the Arctic but if the Trudeau cabinet shifts to a confrontational stance in the region, it will harm Canada's security, Russian Ambassador in Ottawa Oleg Stepanov told Sputnik on Wednesday.
The Canadian government is readying to release a new Arctic strategy to address what it perceives to be a growing Russian threat in the region, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told Bloomberg on Tuesday.
The announcement came two months after National Defense released its defense policy update in which it emphasized that the most pressing task for Canada was to assert its sovereignty in its northern regions and the Arctic.
"We don’t see Canada as a threat there [Arctic], but obviously will have to take into account both a possible change in Ottawa’s policy, as well as its coordination and joint planning with the US and within NATO in this regard," Stepanov said. "Obviously, if Trudeau’s cabinet takes a confrontational stance versus Russia in the Arctic, it will be, first of all, detrimental to Canada’s security.”
Such a change would reflect a very near-sighted policy by Ottawa which would artificially create an adversary out of a neighbor – Russia – that happens to be a major military power, Stepanov said. The Arctic has become a
contentious area and Moscow strongly advocates maintaining the status quo while it also seeks to avoid any militarization of the region, he added.
“Any attempts by NATO to extend its force projection to the Arctic will be met with an adequate military response from Russia,” Stepanov stressed.
The Ambassador further noted that bilateral contact between Moscow and Ottawa is null, something he attributed to the Trudeau cabinet's choice of cutting all political contacts with Russia. Minimal interaction is maintained multilaterally within the working groups of the Arctic Council, he continued.
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about the increased NATO military activities in the Arctic, saying that they raise the risk of unintended conflict in the region. Russia has also allowed for the possibility of withdrawing from the Arctic Council if this body’s activities
do not meet its interests.
