The leaders of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Canada are united in the view that international cooperation based on international law, shared values, and interests is the best way to strengthen common security and prosperity. They share fundamental values as democracies committed to the rule of law, human rights, and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states. The countries have agreed to deepen cooperation to ensure safety, security, and sovereignty, and to build prosperous and green economies. They also commit to meeting more regularly at different levels to advance shared principles and interests. In a joint statement, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation at a time of heightened geopolitical tension, war and crises.
Arctic security emerged as a central concern, with the leaders committed to ensuring people in the region can prosper in peace, working with Indigenous and northern communities. The Arctic is a concern for the entire Nordic region, and the leaders reaffirmed that Russia represents the main threat looming over the Arctic. The region has become a geopolitical 'hotspot' recently, not least due to former U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated statements that the U.S. 'must have' Greenland. According to multiple reports, the Arctic is increasingly vulnerable to espionage and influence attempts by Russia and China, and great power competition has moved to the backyards of Arctic countries, including Finland.
If we are not at the table, we are on the menu.
The countries are committed to NATO's effort to bolster the Alliance's presence, deterrence, and defence in the Arctic. They welcome NATO's enhanced Vigilance Activity, Arctic Sentry, which strengthens NATO's posture in the Arctic and High North. They also welcome exercises like COLD RESPONSE, Operation NANOOK, and Arctic Endurance that build interoperability among armed forces. Around 32,000 troops from 14 countries, including the U.S., are taking part in the COLD RESPONSE exercise in Norway and Finland, held every two years. In February, NATO launched its Arctic Sentry mission to bolster security in the region, a move multiple reports indicate was intended to assuage Trump after he backed off claims on Greenland.
The Nordic countries and Canada will enhance defence industrial capacity to ramp up defence production, strengthen capabilities, respond to hybrid threats, build resilient infrastructure, and develop interoperable, innovative, and dual-use technologies. The countries will continue to collaborate through military missions and activities, such as NATO's Forward Land Forces in Finland, the Baltic States, and Poland, to bolster NATO's eastern flank and deter Russian aggression. According to Östersjökorrespondent Felicia Hassan, the countries agree to support Ukraine and speed up the rearmament of northern Europe. The specific new defence capabilities or technologies being developed through this enhanced cooperation have not been detailed.
With everything going on now, with a war going on in Ukraine, a United States unfortunately lifting up sanctions on Russia, a war in the Middle East, countries like ours have to stand together.
The countries' support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in the face of Russia's illegal war of aggression is unwavering. Ukraine's security is integral to European and Euro-Atlantic Security. The countries will continue to provide economic, civilian, military, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and call on all members of the Coalition of the Willing to increase their support. They will continue coordination on overall assistance, including on sanctions to further restrict the Kremlin's ability to fund its illegal war. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stated that the countries wholeheartedly support Ukraine's legitimate fight to defend itself against Russia's illegal and brutal warfare, and urge other members of the Coalition of the willing to increase their support. The amount of additional military or economic assistance being pledged to Ukraine as a result of these meetings has not been specified.
This summit follows the conclusion of a top meeting in the JEF format, the UK-led multilateral defence cooperation framework including the UK, Finland, Netherlands, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Estonia. The ten countries in the JEF defence cooperation met to discuss Ukraine's defence and security in the Arctic. The JEF summit's three key themes were support for Ukraine, Arctic security, and hybrid influence focusing on Russia's shadow fleet. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney participated remotely in a JEF summit hosted by Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Helsinki, even though Canada is not a JEF member.
We're all facing a growing list of challenges... Challenges to Arctic security, challenges that come from the changing nature of warfare, the challenges which interact with changing technology and conflicts, both actual and virtual that are moving closer to all of us.
The political context for the Oslo summit is shaped by U.S. President Donald Trump's impact and upcoming regional elections. Trump has launched a new security doctrine where the U.S. controls the Western Hemisphere and talked about making Canada the 51st state and Greenland a U.S. territory. Multiple reports indicate Trump's rhetoric indirectly contributed to the Liberals' comeback in Canada's parliamentary election last spring, with Mark Carney becoming PM due to growing opposition to Trump and U.S. tariff policy. Danish PM Mette Frederiksen is going to an election on March 24 and hopes for a Trump effect, while Swedish Moderate PM Ulf Kristersson is going to an election in September and has an interest in presenting himself as a guarantor of stability and security.
Geopolitical shifts in the Arctic are accelerating, with the High North long shielded by 'Arctic exceptionalism'—the notion that the region had unwritten rules of cooperation immune to geopolitical rivalries. Regional dynamics between Russia and the West have deteriorated since the start of the war in Ukraine and due to Trump's threats. Adversaries can use low-intensity unconventional means, such as hybrid influence, along with traditional means to gain tactical advantage in the Arctic. As great power competition increases, so does the risk of conflict in the Arctic. The Arctic is warming three to four times faster than the planet, attracting increasing interest as melting sea ice opens up access to resources and new shipping routes.
Today's international order is dead and argued that small and medium-sized countries must unite to meet great power rivals USA, China and Russia.
Canada is renewing its Arctic leadership after neglecting Arctic security for a long time. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently said in Davos that Canada is now building new relationships to address challenges of a fragmented geopolitical system. Canada and the U.S. are the most significant Arctic countries, and Canada must now take leadership to defend its national security interests there. Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Carney issued a joint statement in Ottawa announcing deepened bilateral relations, especially in the Arctic, defence, and technology. Finland and Canada have signed a memorandum of understanding on maritime cooperation, which includes developing icebreakers, and started negotiations on a security of information agreement to strengthen information exchange and defence cooperation.
Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Støre and Canadian PM Mark Carney entered into an agreement on closer strategic cooperation, including in space. They met in Oslo after Carney spent some days in Norway under the NATO exercise COLD RESPONSE. They entered into an agreement on strategic cooperation, digital sovereignty, space cooperation, and critical minerals. The detailed terms of the agreements on space cooperation and critical minerals between Norway and Canada have not been disclosed.
We wholeheartedly support Ukraine's legitimate fight to defend itself against Russia's illegal and brutal warfare, and urge other members of the Coalition of the willing to increase their support.
Separately, the transport ministers of Finland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Iceland made an agreement in Rovaniemi on March 11, 2026, for a more harmonized Nordic transport system to be used safely and effectively across borders during crisis and war. The agreement is based on the Joint Nordic Strategy for Transport System Preparedness developed within the Nordic Transport Preparedness Cooperation. Transport preparedness is not just a national issue but a common security issue where robust transport flows are crucial for both civil and military mobility and host nation support. How this harmonized system will be implemented in practice during crises remains to be seen.
Diplomatic engagements are intensifying, with Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen visiting Canada to meet Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand. The foreign ministers will discuss the strategic partnership between Finland and Canada, Arctic security, and other foreign and security policy issues. Finland and Canada concluded a strategic partnership in foreign and security policy in August 2025. Valtonen stated that Canada is an important, like-minded strategic partner for Finland in terms of values and objectives, and cooperation with this important ally is developing further, with the importance of close partners emphasized in the current geopolitical situation. Concurrently, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is visiting Northern Norway this week, invited by PM Jonas Gahr Støre, marking his first official visit to Norway. The agenda includes visits to Andøya Space and the military exercise COLD RESPONSE, with discussions on defence and security cooperation, the situation in Ukraine, and space cooperation.
In a time with much international uncertainty, I look forward to welcoming our most important partner in Europe. Norway and Germany have a close and near cooperation economically, security-politically, militarily and in a number of other areas.
Broader international discussions and climate cooperation were also emphasized. The prime ministers stressed the importance of continuing to work with the international community to address ongoing human rights issues in Afghanistan, which are overwhelmingly affecting women and girls. They discussed the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for continued international cooperation to increase global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. Prime Minister Trudeau commended Norway for its global leadership on pollution pricing. Both leaders committed to tackling the climate crisis together, moving to a net-zero future, and working to create good middle-class jobs for people and new opportunities for businesses in both countries.
Amid these developments, concrete steps to address hybrid threats in the Arctic region have not been fully outlined. The summit represents a significant consolidation of like-minded democracies facing a fragmented geopolitical landscape, with Carney arguing at Davos that 'today's international order is dead' and that small and medium-sized countries must unite to meet great power rivals. He warned, 'If we are not at the table, we are on the menu.' Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen echoed the urgency, stating, 'With everything going on now, with a war going on in Ukraine, a United States unfortunately lifting up sanctions on Russia, a war in the Middle East, countries like ours have to stand together.'
In a troubled time, Norwegian security must have several legs to stand on. We are stronger when we stand together with countries like Canada, with large economies, solid democracies, significant resources and strong institutions.