Canada has long struggled to meet NATO’s two per cent commitment. To do so, Elliot Hughes argues, Canada should turn its gaze northwards to the Arctic.
NATO and Canada
Since its inception in 1949, Canada has played an integral role in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and its numerous military and non-military engagements. As a founding member, Canada’s involvement over the past 70 years has varied from troop deployment and training in Europe during much of the Cold War, to activity abroad in places like Afghanistan and Libya. The articles in the NATO and Canada program examine NATO’s operational history and Canada’s role from a multitude of perspectives. The NATO Association of Canada aims to supply Canadians with a greater insight into the inner workings of this long-standing alliance and its Canadian contributions.
Rethinking NATO’s 2 Per Cent Defence Spending Target: 2023 Enlargement, Canadian Defence Needs, Cooperative Bargaining Models, and Institutional Outcomes
With Finland having joined NATO, the alliance has added its 31st member. Finland’s significant defence capabilities integrated into NATO will affect Arctic collaboration with some implications for Canada. In this article, Anessa Kimball explores Canadian defence needs, and whether the alliance’s 2 per cent GDP defence spending target remains relevant.
Should NATO Expand to include non-European States?
NATO has undergone several periods of expansion throughout its long existence. From the original 12 member states in 1949, NATO has expanded to include 30 members now, plus the imminent accession of Finland and Sweden to the alliance. NATO’s expansion has at times been controversial. After the fall of the Soviet Union, many argued that Read More…
Did you know? 9 Facts About Money Laundering in Canada Infographic
How much do you know about money laundering in Canada? In this infographic Katherine E. Todd
shares 9 key facts about money laundering like how much money is laundered in Canada, how it happens, and what the government has done to stop it.
Canada Urgently Needs a National Security Policy
It has been a busy year for policymakers and strategic thinkers in Canada. Confronting Russian aggression in Europe, balancing the Chinese and Indian relationships, and isolating the Russian economy has proven to be difficult. Domestic unrest due to supply-chain disruptions and exorbitant energy and fuel cost increases has proven to be equally challenging in many Read More…
Canada’s Need for a Comprehensive Arctic Strategy Amid Russian and Chinese Threats
Warming climates, emerging natural resources, and intensifying geopolitical threats have made the Arctic an area of great political tension, but Canada does not yet have a strategy to deal with these challenges. Can the country afford to lag behind other Arctic and “Near-Arctic” states in planning for the future of its security?
The Age of Crises? A Primer for the Mid-Twenty-First Century
The British historian Eric Hobsbawm once argued that the nineteenth century had three fundamental periods of change: the “Age of Revolution,” “Age of Capital,” and the “Age of Empire,” which subsequently formed the titles for his magisterial history of that century. His further look at the twentieth century was neatly summarized as the “Age of Read More…
Performing does not Equal Conforming: NATO and Standardization
As a group of thirty nations, NATO militaries are required to standardize their ammunition, logistics, tactics, and ranks to make it easier to operate as a whole. In actual combat conditions, a multinational coalition of soldiers might suddenly need to operate equipment from another member state’s military, and standardizing equipment ensures their ability to keep Read More…
Canada’s Role in NATO with Monica Izaguirre-Canales and Professor Aaron Ettinger from Carleton University
I had the privilege to interview Professor Aaron Ettinger of Carleton University about Canada’s role in NATO and how Canadian foreign policy shapes the nation’s commitment with the organization. Overall, I asked, is Canada really making a difference? Professor Ettinger specializes in International Relations and US foreign policy. His research focuses on continuity and change Read More…
Canada Should Increase its Maritime Power-Projection Capabilities
In 2019, the federal government selected the replacement for the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) aging Halifax-class frigates and Iroquois-class destroyers: the fifteen new Canadian Surface Combatants (CSC) will be a modified British frigate designed to operate as an anti-air or anti-submarine platform in coastal waters and the open ocean. In concert with the four Victoria-class Read More…