Uncertainty over Arctic security after Justin Trudeau’s resignation

We are in the most troubled times we can imagine in terms of securityimmediately launches the president of the Yukon Arctic Security Advisory Council, Ken Coates.

According to him, Justin Trudeau’s decision could not come at the worst time in the geopolitical context, particularly with the return of Donald Trump to power and international relations which are deteriorating.

At the same time, we have this American president who arrives and is very assertive, very demanding and very angry with Canada for its insufficient defense funding.he emphasizes, adding that relations with the United States risk representing 95% of concerns in the next two months.

Professor in the geography department of Laval University and director of the Quebec geopolitics council, Frédéric Lasserre recalls that disagreements between the United States and Canada on the Arctic are not new.

Basically, there is nothing new. We know very well that Washington does not agree with the Canadian claim to the Northwest Passage. We have also known since the 70s that there are these maritime border disputes in the Beaufort Seahe mentions.

This is the intensity with which Washington will highlight these disagreements. Are they going to put strong pressure on Canada, take retaliatory measures because they do not agree to try to get Canada to change its position? This is where the uncertainty lies.

It is important for the North to know who is leading the country, particularly when we look at the pressure put on by the United States andNorth Atlantic Treaty OrganizationI’LL TAKE for Canada to increase its defense investments and its sovereignty in the Arcticadds the former senator from Nunavut, Dennis Patterson.

The Yukon MP, Brendan Hanleyon the contrary, is more reassuring. He ensures that these issues are well understood in Ottawa and that this priority will not disappear with the arrival of a new leader.

I think that regardless of who emerges as leader, these are commitments and values ​​that are solid, so I’m not really worried about losing the initiativehe maintains.

Same story with the territorial government, which remains confident regarding the federal commitment to ensuring the security of the North. He discusses Ottawa’s funding for two feasibility studies, one concerning the presence of a naval reserve in Whitehorse (new window) and the other on the creation of a Canadian Institute for Arctic Security (new window).

Focus on other voices

Pour Ken Coatesif it is not possible to find a strong voice in Ottawa, the responsibility will then fall to the territories and indigenous communities to forge international links and put forward the issues of the North.

The Inuit Circumpolar Council and the Athabaskan Arctic Council are remarkable and very active internationally […] they have leaders who are credible and who very clearly articulate the needs of the Arctiche gives as an example.

He is also delighted with the connections between Alaska and the Yukon (new window) made over the past few months and hopes to see even greater collaboration form between the two neighbors.

I think that’s one of the good things that came out. We have a better partnership with Alaska because our relationship with Canada and international defense has weakenedhe said.

We can very well try to compensate a little for the deterioration of relations at the level of federal governments by improving relations at the level of communities or territories.agrees Professor Frédéric Lasserre.

What I fear is that even if the communities or the governor of Alaska says to his president “we think this is not a very good idea at the local level”, that will not necessarily influence the decisions policies that are made in Washingtonhe emphasizes, however.

With information from TJ Dhir