Defense chief says protecting the Arctic is a priority

(Ottawa) Canada’s defense chief says protecting the country’s Arctic region is a priority for the armed forces. He warned that Russia has reoccupied abandoned Cold War bases in its Far North.

General Wayne Eyre points out that the defense of NATO’s northern flank is a major concern for the Canadian army.

The threat of a Russian incursion into the Canadian Arctic from the North is very low at the moment, but it could not be ruled out in the coming decades, according to General Eyre.

Speaking at a defense conference in Ottawa, the chief of staff said Canada’s Arctic is potentially vulnerable due to its sparse population and lack of infrastructure.

He says showing that the Canadian military can fight and operate in extreme conditions on the edge of its territory has a deterrent effect and can make an aggressor think twice.

Mr Eyre says Russia’s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine has given NATO new energy, but Vladimir Putin’s recklessness has made the world a much more dangerous place.

Recruitment is a priority

The Vice Chief of the Defense Staff of Canada indicates that the Armed Forces are embarking on a digital recruitment campaign to increase the number of soldiers.

Lieutenant-General Frances Allen told an international defense conference in Ottawa that the priority was to rebuild the capacity of the Armed Forces and that to do so they would correct “many flaws” in the recruiting process.

She said recruiting would be more digital-based and designed to connect quickly with people who have expressed an interest in the Armed Forces.

She added that the recruiting campaign would focus on the skills that the Canadian Armed Forces need, and that it was also important to retain current members.

Lt. Gen. Allen noted that a culture shift is underway which will allow people to “do their best” without feeling “an outsider” or “another”.

Situation in Belarus

General Eyre spoke at the Conference of Defense Associations Institute event on Thursday, as did Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Belarus’s exiled opposition leader.

M^me Tsikhanouskaya claimed first-round victory over Alexander Lukashenko in the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, after taking the place of her husband, who was detained.

She challenged the eventual election of Mr Lukashenko, who is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. It allowed Belarus to facilitate Mr. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, by letting Russian troops position themselves along the border.