Canadian, German, Norwegian leaders meet for Arctic security talks
Leaders meet in the Arctic as NATO trains troops and security concerns rise
NATO – (Web Desk) – Canadian, German, and Norwegian leaders will meet in the Norwegian Arctic on Friday. They aim to discuss the region’s delicate security situation, as a major NATO exercise takes place.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are visiting Norway separately. They will join Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in Bardufoss. The town sits above the Arctic Circle and is hosting NATO’s Cold Response exercise.
The Arctic has long been seen as a special place where countries cooperated peacefully. But tensions between Russia and the West have grown since the war in Ukraine. Past threats to Greenland have also changed the region’s dynamics.
Prime Minister Carney said Canada is working closely with Arctic partners to make the region safer and more secure for everyone.
About 25,000 troops from 14 countries, including the United States, are taking part in Cold Response. The exercise happens every two years and trains forces to work together in harsh winter conditions.
This year, the gathering has been affected by global events. France has redirected its aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle, to the eastern Mediterranean instead of the Arctic.
After visiting the troops, the three leaders will hold a press conference at 3:30 pm local time.
German Chancellor Merz said NATO allies must do more to protect the Arctic. He called it a shared transatlantic interest. NATO chief Mark Rutte is also scheduled to visit Cold Response on March 18.
Russia has responded to NATO’s activities nearby. Norway’s military said F-35 jets intercepted Russian aircraft in international airspace north of Norway. They said this is routine and Russia has the right to fly in international airspace. Russia will also conduct missile tests near Norwegian waters in the Barents Sea, as it has done in past exercises.
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The Arctic is warming three to four times faster than the rest of the planet. Melting ice is opening access to resources like oil, gas, minerals, and fish, as well as new shipping routes.
Before Bardufoss, Merz and Store will visit the Andoya Space Centre, where German company Isar Aerospace plans to launch another Spectrum rocket. Carney will travel to Oslo to meet the prime ministers of the five Nordic countries on Sunday.
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