Overview

• Anita Anand arrived in Helsinki on August 18 to participate in the Nordic Five ministerial meeting and bilateral talks with Finland, Sweden and Denmark on shared Arctic priorities.
• She warned that Russia has accelerated military infrastructure deployments north of the Arctic Circle and increased activity in the Northwest Passage since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
• Anand said Canada will leave no stone unturned to defend its northern sovereignty and called on NATO members to shift security focus toward the Arctic.
• Ministers agreed that critical mineral projects must be integrated into defence planning to bolster resilience in the face of growing regional tensions.
• The visit aims to deepen Canada–Nordic cooperation to uphold a rules-based order in the Arctic and reinforce support for Ukraine among transatlantic allies.