The Arctic vector of Canadas Foreign Policy

In Canada, focus on the Arctic as a foreign policy dimension is constantly growing at all levels, from academic and expert to official. In 2024, Canada’s Liberal Government released two key documents on defence and foreign policy planning in the Arctic, the updated Defence Strategy “Our North, Strong and Free” and Canada’s Arctic Foreign Policy. The article takes a closer look at Canadas Arctic Foreign Policy, based on two key fundamentals of Canadas foreign policy: defending the sovereignty and using pragmatic diplomacy. According to the document, Canada aims to protect its sovereignty and strengthen its presence in the Arctic; to strengthen relations with the United States and European Arctic states; and to pursue mainly confrontational relations with Russia and China. In addition, the article analyzes the Liberal and Conservative Party leaders approach to Arctic issues in the context of the 2025 federal elections.