A tariff regime isn’t an act of war, and a supply-chain cut-off isn’t an invasion — even if they are coercive. In this article, Tyler Stevenson examines how Canada is responding to these threats through a new wave of comprehensive partnerships that treat trade as an extension of defence policy.
For the first time since the end of the Cold War, Canada has achieved NATO’s 2% defence expenditure target under the leadership of Prime Minister Mark Carney. While the increase in spending does strengthen Canada’s credibility within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and supports domestic defence-related industries and employment, the 2% target does not measure actual military effectiveness. Can Canada convert higher defence expenditures into deployable capabilities, procurement reform, personnel increases, and reduced dependence on the United States?
As Canada simultaneously hits NATO’s 2% defence spending threshold and launches a debt-financed sovereign wealth fund, Kaya Dupuis asks whether Ottawa can credibly afford both. This article examines whether the Canada Strong Fund can serve as a genuine NATO defence-industrial asset, or whether its borrowed foundation will undermine the very commitments it is meant to support.
As economic security becomes increasingly central to international policymaking, trade law is being reshaped by sanctions, export controls, and other security-based economic measures. In this article, Hassan Ahmed examines how the WTO’s national security exception has evolved from a narrow safeguard into a more routine justification for strategic economic action, and how allied states increasingly coordinate such measures through informal alignment rather than unified legal frameworks. Using examples ranging from semiconductor export controls to sanctions coordination following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the article explores the growing intersection of trade law, strategic competition, and alliance politics, including the implications for middle powers such as Canada.
As Europe advances its pursuit of strategic autonomy, questions are emerging about the future of NATO and transatlantic security. Can a more independent Europe strengthen collective defence, or risk fragmentation? This article explores how alignment and coordination will shape the future of Western security.
As NATO allies commit to spending 5% of GDP on defence by 2035, Kaya Dupuis examines how Canada plans to finance its most ambitious military commitment since the Cold War and whether a new multilateral bank can succeed where Victory Bonds once did. Can capital markets do what kitchen-table patriotism once accomplished?
In the shadow of artificial intelligence, governments are pouring billions into technologies that collapse the distinction between human thought and machine computation. If NATO does not intervene early, it risks ceding strategic influence to competitors who view the mind as a domain for military advantage. Yet the strategic promise of neurotechnology is matched by questions about control, accountability, and exploitation that the Alliance cannot afford to ignore. NATO must move quickly, but through a phased approach that balances innovation with the protection of cognitive integrity.
This April marks two years since the Department of National Defence released its updated policy titled “Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence,” which pledged $8.1 billion over five years and $73 billion over 20 years in national defence, signifying a new commitment to a military that had previously been underfunded Read More…
Women’s political representation is an integral condition for achieving durable peace, however, progress toward parity has begun stalling recent years. This article examines the mechanisms through which women’s substantive political representation produces positive outcomes for NATO’s peace and security agenda. The NATO Alliance must cultivate a political order where women lead, not only as a gender equity imperative but as a peace imperative, as women’s leadership presents the surest defence against adversaries seeking to destabilize the Alliance.
This article examines Canada’s decision to replace the Canadian Armed Forces’ C7 and C8 rifles alongside similar service rifle modernization efforts in France, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. It examines that the replacement is not driven by age alone, but by the need for greater adaptability, compatibility with modern accessories, and continued effectiveness across different operational settings. Rather than pointing to a single NATO-wide process, these cases reflect a broader pattern among several allies seeking to update the equipment carried by frontline personnel. Together, they show that service rifle replacement has implications not only for readiness, but also for interoperability, training, maintenance, and longer-term defence planning.