Canada and Finland announced a new foreign and security policy strategic partnership Tuesday, deepening cooperation on Arctic security, NATO defense initiatives, and support for Ukraine as both nations respond to shifting global threats.
The partnership, unveiled in a joint statement issued in Helsinki, builds on the countries’ shared democratic values and mutual interests in the North Atlantic and Arctic regions. Both nations emphasized their “firm commitment to transatlantic security, the rules-based international order, multilateral cooperation, international law, democracy, human rights, climate goals, and open and free trade.”
Western allies have escalated pressure on Russia’s revenue streams with unprecedented sanctions. The EU imposed its 17th sanctions package in May 2025, which officials called “the most wide-sweeping since the start of the war,” targeting 189 shadow fleet vessels. The US sanctioned 183 vessels in January 2025. These coordinated efforts have significantly reduced Russia’s ability to evade oil sanctions.
As NATO allies, the countries pledged to intensify “bilateral cooperation and dialogue across the full spectrum of security and defence issues,” with particular focus on Arctic security, maritime security, and countering hybrid threats. This comes as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to reshape the dynamics of the region’s security.
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Finland’s NATO membership in 2023, followed by Sweden’s accession in 2024, has fundamentally altered Arctic geopolitics. Seven of the eight Arctic Council members are now NATO allies, effectively ending decades of Arctic cooperation with Russia and creating what experts describe as a bipolar balance reminiscent of the Cold War.
A key component involves joint efforts to address Russia’s “shadow fleet” — vessels used to circumvent international sanctions. The countries committed to “enhance monitoring and detection and to otherwise constrain the use of shadow fleets engaged in illegal, unsafe, or environmentally perilous activities.”
Both nations reaffirmed strong support for Ukraine, condemning “Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, which constitutes a serious violation of international law, including the UN Charter.” They pledged continued cooperation on sanctions implementation and Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts.
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The partnership also emphasizes Arctic cooperation through the ICE Pact initiative announced in July 2024. Canada and Finland are “actively working together with the United States on the production of Arctic and polar icebreakers and other related capabilities” to strengthen Arctic security. Officials from the three nations signed a formal implementation agreement in November 2024, with coordination meetings continuing into 2025 as the program moves toward concrete production goals.
Both countries are committed to leveraging the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and expanding collaboration in forestry, sustainable mining, critical minerals, and advanced technologies, including AI for defense applications.
The partnership builds on a 2022 bilateral cooperation agreement and Canada’s 2024 Arctic Foreign Policy, which identified Finland as a key Nordic ally. Regular high-level consultations will guide the partnership’s implementation.
Recent joint military exercises, including February 2025’s Exercise ARCTIC FORGE with Canadian, Finnish, and US forces training together in northern Finland, demonstrate the partnership’s practical military dimensions as Arctic nations adapt to heightened security challenges.
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