Canada unveils Arctic militarization plan

https://www.rt.com/news/634843-canadian-pm-carney-arctic-militarization-plan/

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced a multibillion-dollar plan to increase the country’s military presence in the Arctic.

NATO, of which Canada is a member, has been actively ramping up its military footprint in the strategically important region in recent years, citing a perceived Russian threat. Moscow has dismissed the allegations, saying that the military bloc views the Arctic as a “bridgehead for possible conflicts.” President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia will respond to the NATO military buildup in the region, where it possesses more than half of the entire coastline.

On Thursday, Carney stated that Canada would invest C$35 billion ($25.7 billion) in “forward operating locations” in the Arctic communities of Yellowknife, Inuvik, and Iqaluit, and several other locations. The plan envisages military airfield upgrades as well as the creation of hangars, ammunition and fuel facilities, among other installations, with a view to enabling the Canadian military to “deploy rapidly and support year-round response” in the region.

According to the prime minister, the new military infrastructure would lessen Canada’s reliance on other NATO member states to project force in the far north.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte previously said member states were “working together” in the Arctic to “defend this part of NATO territory.” Continue…