Since its inception in 1949, Canada has played an integral role in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and its numerous military and non-military engagements. As a founding member, Canada’s involvement over the past 70 years has varied from troop deployment and training in Europe during much of the Cold War, to activity abroad in places like Afghanistan and Libya. The articles in the NATO and Canada program examine NATO’s operational history and Canada’s role from a multitude of perspectives. The NATO Association of Canada aims to supply Canadians with a greater insight into the inner workings of this long-standing alliance and its Canadian contributions.
Rachel Potter examines Canada’s bid to host the proposed Defence, Security and Resilience Bank and its implications for allied defence investment. She explores how the institution would mobilise capital markets to finance defence procurement and industrial expansion for NATO members and partner states, and how hosting the bank could position Canada at the centre of an emerging system of allied defence finance while strengthening its strategic role within the NATO security ecosystem.
As Ottawa revisits its commitment to purchase 88 F-35A fighter jets, Jonah Moffatt argues that renewed hesitation signals strategic indecision and that a mixed fleet including the less advanced Saab JAS-39 Gripen would dilute Canadian airpower. If Canada seeks to lead within NATO and fulfil its middle-power ambitions, it is necessary to ground credibility in capability and avoid prioritizing political considerations over long-term security interests.
The Arctic’s strategic transformation within NATO following Finland and Sweden’s accession underscores the region’s growing importance to the alliance. Canada’s central geography links European and North American security and strengthens the northern defence architecture. Enhanced Canadian strategic initiatives and proactivity could bridge alliance coordination and reinforce deterrence in the High North. Addressing Canada’s underutilized role would advance both NATO cohesion and long-term Arctic stability.
At the 2025 NATO Summit, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that critical mineral expenditures would contribute to Canada’s 5% NATO defense spending contribution. Key to this new positioning is the building of essential industrial infrastructure necessary for critical mineral development and exportation, of which 1.5% of the new commitment is dedicated to. This new approach Read More…
Rachel Potter analyzes the geopolitical fallout of U.S. pressure on Greenland, arguing that it reveals a deeper fragility within NATO and raises a critical question for Canada: can alliance guarantees still be trusted when power begins to override restraint?
Following the American intervention in Venezuela, Jonah Moffatt assesses the “Trump Corollary” outlined in the 2025 National Security Strategy, and what this hemispheric vison of security means for the long-contested Northwest Passage. He argues that through diplomatic coordination with its Nordic allies, Canada can utilize the forum and frameworks of NATO to protect its national interests while emerging as a leader of multilateralism in a time of uncertainty.
Canada’s $60B+ Canadian Patrol Submarine Project marks a turning point in Arctic defence and strategic autonomy. This piece coauthored by Emma Zhang and Sanam Singh examines whether the procurement can restore under-ice capability and deliver long-term industrial and geopolitical returns.
By joining the EU’s €150-billion SAFE program, Canada is positioning itself closer to Europe’s defence-industrial strategy and recalibrating its long-standing reliance on the United States. In this piece, Sanam Singh examines what this shift means for Canada’s alliances, procurement choices, and long-term strategic autonomy.
In recent months, there has been a growing number of incursions of NATO airspace by Russian drones. These drone incursions constitute an escalation in Russia’s hybrid warfare against Europe, which has for years sought to erode the NATO alliance, disrupt Eastern European states, and most recently interfere with the continent’s support for Ukraine. For Canada, this drastic uptick in grey-zone aggression should not be taken lightly, as it displays Moscow’s willingness to upset European security.
Canada’s $200 million contribution to NATO’s Ukraine arms program highlights a growing commitment to deterrence amid shifting alliance dynamics. This analysis by Emma Zhang examines the geopolitical calculations behind the aid and the trade-offs it entails