Canada moves to protect Arctic, cites increasing interest from Russia, China

Citing growing interest by China and Russia in the Arctic as global warming makes the region more accessible, Canada on Dec. 6 said it would focus on building stronger alliances with other nations in the region, particularly the U.S.

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"For many years, Canada has aimed to manage the Arctic and northern regions cooperatively with other states as a zone of low tension," according to a statement by the Canadian government.

But more recent developments, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, had "shaken the foundations of international cooperation in the Arctic," the statement said.

Canada has long debated how best to assert control over its vast but very sparsely populated Arctic.