Canada, Nordics Deepen Arctic Security Ties, Back Greenland Sovereignty

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(Bloomberg) — Canada and the Nordic countries agreed to ramp up defense production and deepen security cooperation to counter Russia in the Arctic and push back against US pressure on Greenland.

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The leaders announced the pledge after a meeting in Oslo on Sunday, underscoring at a joint news conference that Russia remains the region’s primary threat, even as concerns about US interest in Greenland linger.

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“The biggest physical security threat in the Arctic is Russia,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said, adding that NATO’s heightened focus on the region — including the launch of the Arctic Sentry mission — was welcome and overdue. “It needs to be further developed, and what you’re hearing from all of us is the commitment to do that.”

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The joint statement released by Canada and the Nordics committed them to closer Arctic security coordination, including boosting defense industrial capacity and developing inter-operable, dual-use technologies. 

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Carney said all the countries are making major defense investments, but warned that uncoordinated spending would dilute value for taxpayers and weaken collective security. With complementary strengths across the region, he said, they are seeking “specific opportunities” for mutually beneficial development.

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He noted that Canada has historically spent 70% of its military budget in the US, a pattern that has limited domestic industry growth.

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“We will still do a lot of procurement with the United States,” he said, “but we’re looking to procure much more in a partnership” and with a “much broader range of countries.”

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Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said the effort reflects “middle powers being concrete about what they can do together.” He stressed that the goal is not to build new institutions but to pursue what Carney calls “variable geometry” — deepening collaboration in different areas with different partners, including Australia, Japan and South Korea.

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The Nordic leaders said cooperation with France regarding better nuclear deterrence for Europe shouldn’t be seen as a replacement for NATO’s nuclear umbrella. 

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The leaders also voiced strong support for Greenland and Denmark’s sovereignty. Although US President Donald Trump’s interest in the island appears to have eased in recent weeks, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the pressure “totally unacceptable.”

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Asked about Trump’s interest in natural resources in Greenland and Canada, Carney acknowledged the region’s vast reserves, including critical minerals in Norway and his own country. He argued the question now is how the region can develop those assets with partners, and do so quickly.

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