DAVOS: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told the World Economic Forum in Davos that Russia poses a threat in the Arctic, as he expressed solidarity with Denmark and its autonomous territory, Greenland.
“We stand firmly with Greenland and Denmark and fully support their unique right to determine Greenland’s future,” Carney said at the international gathering on Tuesday.
He also emphasized Canada’s “unwavering” commitment to NATO’s Article 5, which states that an armed attack against one or more members is considered an attack against all.
Carney said his country was investing in over-the-horizon radar to help address threats in the Arctic from Russian missiles, submarines, aircraft and “boots on the ice.”
The government is also collaborating with NATO allies, including the Nordic-Baltic Eight countries (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden), to ensure Arctic sovereignty, he added.
“NATO is experiencing a test right now and the first response to that test has to be to respond in a way that ensures the security of the Arctic in a robust way for all possibilities,” Carney said.
“Russia is, without question, a threat in the Arctic … one we need to protect against,” he added in response to a question about the risks Russia and China pose to Greenland, which is rich in mineral resources and located at the intersection of international shipping lanes connecting Asia with Europe and North America.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that he wants to acquire Greenland, describing it as essential for US national security.
Last week, Carney and Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced a deal to lower tariffs on traded goods, signaling a breakthrough in the relationship between their countries.
Carney has been working to diversify Canada’s trade beyond the US, its neighbor and historically its largest trading partner, amid ongoing uncertainty caused by tariffs imposed by Trump over the past 12 months, and his threat this week to impose additional tariffs on some European allies after they objected to his efforts to acquire Greenland. Trump also suggested on Tuesday that without him, NATO would be in the “ash heap of history.”
Carney said that “Canada strongly opposes tariffs over Greenland.” He added that his country has managed to withstand significant US pressure, but confirmed that the government was working with Washington on various issues related to Europe and the Middle East.
He welcomed the launch of the US-led “Board of Peace,” which signals the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan, focusing on the demilitarization of Hamas, the administration of the territory by a Palestinian committee, and the beginning of its reconstruction.
He said the US had invited Canada to join the board, the details of which are set out in UN Security Council Resolution 2803. The board would be “immediately operative” in Gaza, before expanding to address needs in other parts of the world affected by conflicts, Carney added.
He described the situation in Gaza as “horrific” and said more work needs to be done in the territory, in particular to ensure a sufficient flow of aid to the population there, and to establish a path toward a “true” two-state solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
While he confirmed that Canada had been invited to become a member of the Board of Peace, which would require a $1 billion payment to secure a permanent seat, he did not elaborate on whether it would accept the invitation.
“We would write checks and deliver in kind to improve the welfare of the people of Palestine,” he said. “But we want to see it delivered directly to those outcomes promoting peace.”
