Despite what you might have heard, David Pugliese reports that the Defence department isn’t worried about a Russian military threat in the Arctic.

The Government of Canada is committed to protecting Canada’s security and exercising its sovereignty in the North, including in Canada’s Arctic internal waters. Defence issues do not drive Arctic affairs and Canada does not see a military threat in the Arctic, including from Russia.

 From a defence perspective, relations with Russia and our other Northern neighbours remain positive and are marked by cooperation in several areas given shared challenges associated with operating in the unique Arctic environment and the mutual benefit of exchanging lessons learned and best practices.

See previously: The Russians are mocking, ‘A good working relationship’ and ‘Hook, line and sinker’.