NATO’s secretary general praises Canada for its investment in northern defense systems, but also says it’s important Canada keeps its promises to spend two percent of its GDP on defense to meet its alliance commitments. Jens Stoltenberg wrapped up his two-day visit to Nunavut and Alberta on Friday after touring the Canadian High Arctic Research Station, meeting with Indigenous Elders and community leaders and seeing Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Canadian Air Force personnel. Stoltenberg also visited a site of the North Warning System, which is part of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad). The Liberal government announced in June that it was making the biggest upgrade to Norad in forty years. At a press conference with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Cold Lake, Alta., on Friday, Stoltenberg stressed the importance of strengthening defenses in the Arctic as “the shortest route to North America for Russian missiles and bombers would be over the North Polo. “ In an exclusive interview with CTV News Alberta Bureau Chief Bill Fortier, Stoltenberg said that while the conflict may not start in the Arctic, it could easily move there “because of its strategic importance to the alliance.” Both Stoltenberg and Trudeau stressed the importance of investing in northern defense in light of what Stoltenberg called a “significant Russian military buildup in the high North.” He says while he recognizes all the work Canada is doing with NATO in Latvia, the Baltic Sea and Romania — in addition to its recent investments in Norad — he always expects all NATO allies to invest more. “Canada has increased defense spending in recent years, which has also allowed it to announce new major investments, for example, in new fighter jets and the modernization of Norad,” he said. “Other allies are also stepping up and starting to invest more. We welcome it. But of course I expect all of us, including Canada, to live up to the commitments we all agreed to spend — two per cent of GDP on defence.” Below is a full transcript of the interview with Bill Fortier of CTV News. The transcript has been edited for clarity. Bill Fortier: You did a tour yesterday and you are the first NATO secretary general ever to visit the North. Were you satisfied with what you saw in terms of what Canada is doing in the North and what Canada is spending in the North? Jens Stoltenberg: “Canada does a very important job for the whole alliance in the North, providing what you do in Norad, providing situational awareness, radar, but also being able to react if something dangerous happens up there. I also, of course, welcome Canada’s decision to modernize Norad, which is so important not only for Canada and North America, but for the entire alliance. And then, also, I’d like to commend Canada not only for investing in military capabilities, which are of course important to NATO and the alliance, but also for the knowledge to understand the consequences of climate change in the North.” Bill Fortier: What Canada is doing in the North doesn’t even compare to what Russia is doing in its Arctic. You talked about it many times. So clearly this is a concern for NATO. How real do you think the threat of Russian aggression in the Arctic is? Jens Stoltenberg: “I think it is dangerous to speculate, but what we are seeing is a significant Russian military build-up in the high North with new weapons systems, with advanced missiles, they are testing modern nuclear weapons, including hypersonic missiles. So of course we should take this seriously. I think not so many people think that the conflict will start in the high north, but a conflict can easily move to the high north because of its strategic importance for the whole alliance, but also because it is actually the shortest road between Russia and North America. So, of course, it’s important what Canada is doing, and we welcome both the decision to modernize Norad, to invest in fifth-generation aircraft — but of course also that other allies are stepping up: the United States, but also other NATO allies in the Arctic. When Finland and Sweden join the alliance, seven of the eight Arctic states will be NATO allies.” Bill Fortier: You talked about the shortest distance for the missiles to come here over the North. This is a scary thought that we really haven’t talked about or heard about in Canada since the 80’s. What else does Canada need to do right now other than beef up a radar system where we can see these things coming? Does Canada need ships on the water, more of them, does it need boots on the ground in the North? Does Canada need aircraft to monitor and respond to a threat? What else would you like to see Canada do up north? Jens Stoltenberg: “I welcome the fact that Canada has decided to modernize Norad, which is the key tool not only for detecting but also for responding if something happens in the high North. I am now at Cold Lake Air Base where we have our tactical air force, which will play a key role in responding to any attack against North America. Second, of course, more advanced systems, for example, the decision for Canada to invest in fifth-generation aircraft, will protect Canada but also protect North America and the whole of NATO. Ships, intelligence, surveillance capabilities, these are all important. Canada announced more investment. We welcome it. But you also know that Canada is one of several Arctic nations in the alliance. So I also welcome the fact that we are working more closely together as allies in the high north.” Bill Fortier: These are things that Canada is doing, but in your opinion, does Canada need to do more than what it has already promised? Jens Stoltenberg: “Well, the allies are stepping up in the high north, and that in a way reflects that the allies recognize that we need to do more because the strategic importance of the high north is increasing, partly because of Russia’s military build-up, partly because of of China’s increased interest in the high north, in part due to climate change — making the high north more accessible and changing the current climate conditions in our north. All this led to decisions by Canada and other allies to accelerate. So I think the most important thing is that we now keep what we have all promised as NATO allies.” Bill Fortier: Speaking of which, you’re diplomats here in Canada, but you’ve said in the past that two percent of GDP defense spending is the baseline. That shouldn’t be the goal. That’s where we have to start and Canada isn’t even close. Did you mention it? And is that disappointing to you? Diplomacy aside, does Canada need to get to that two percent? Jens Stoltenberg: “Canada has increased defense spending in recent years, which has also allowed it to announce new major investments, for example, in new fighter jets and the modernization of Norad. Other allies are also stepping up and starting to invest more, we welcome that. But of course I expect all of us, including Canada, to live up to the commitments we all agreed to spend, two per cent of GDP on defence.” Bill Fortier: And now Canada has pledged $5 billion in the short term for those Norad improvements that you toured and talked about, almost $40 billion over the next 20 years. Is the need more urgent than this? Is the need now, is the danger and threat now? Does any of that money need to be spent more quickly? Jens Stoltenberg: “We are in constant dialogue with all allies about the exact capabilities we expect the different allies to offer. We’re working with Canada, we’re working with other allies, to make sure they deliver those capabilities in a timely manner. Canada is stepping up, both when it comes to the high north, but Canada also contributes to NATO in many other ways that are important to security, such as [with the enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group] NATO has in Latvia, ships in the Baltic Sea and also more presence in Romania. So I would like to congratulate Canada for its contribution to NATO in so many different ways, and then we expect Canada, as other allies, to invest more.” Bill Fortier: You’re clearly an expert in diplomacy and respecting the sovereign decisions that these countries that are part of NATO make, but Canada has opted out of the ballistic missile defense systems that the US has built. In your opinion, based on what you see happening around the world, does Canada need a ballistic missile defense system? Jens Stoltenberg: “I hope that Canada and the United States are able to find the best way to organize the defense of the North American territory, and I welcome the very close cooperation between the United States and Canada and Norad. It is unique that two countries can work together as closely as the United States and Canada on Norad, and I welcome the fact that Norad is going to be modernized. This is what I will say about it now because I also know that there is an ongoing dialogue between NATO allies about how to work together better.”
