Canada Ready to Use Force Against Russia in the Arctic – Canadian Foreign Minister

I hope Canada has more then a Rubber boat to back up their claim.

Canada Ready to Use Force Against Russia in the Arctic – Canadian Foreign Minister. (RN).

Canada is concerned about Russia’s military expansion in the Arctic and is ready to defend its interests in the region using military force, John Baird, Canadian foreign affairs minister, told the Berlingske newspaper Monday.

“We are deeply worried and ready to promote and protect Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic. It’s a strategic priority for us. When it comes to militarization, we would prefer to de-escalate the conflict, but it is clear that we may protect our sovereignty by force,” Baird told the newspaper.

All Arctic coastal states are currently limited to their exclusive economic zones of 200 nautical miles. However, portions of the Arctic Sea region are in dispute for their shipping and natural resource potential. The melting of the region’s sea ice has opened the possibility for further exploration of petroleum reserves in the area.

The Ukrainian crisis has affected cooperation in the Arctic, with Norway, the United States, Canada and Denmark all imposing sanctions on Russia, which reciprocated with a food import ban. In April, Canada announced it would skip Arctic Council meetings in Moscow due to Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula.