Canada unveils first national security strategy in more than 20 years

WASHINGTON — Canada has released a national security strategy today focused on sovereignty — marking the first time Ottawa has released such a document in more than 20 years.

“Canada stands at a hinge moment in history,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement today. “The world is increasingly defined by contested borders, authoritarian aggression, and acute global threats. The long-held belief that the combination of our geography, interconnectedness, and a rules-based international order could substitute for Canadian sovereign capacity to protect ourselves is no longer tenable.”

The strategy drives home that Canada “controls its own destiny,” and comes amid tension between Canada and its North American neighbor, the US, over tense trade negotiations. Specifically, the national security policy underscores several key priorities, including a “cooperative, clear-eyed relationship” with the US, and an “innovative” Canadian economy. 

“To bolster our sovereignty and national security, we will build long-term economic strength through generational domestic investments,” Carney said. “We will develop a dense web of trading relationships that bolster our strategic capabilities. We will focus our diplomatic efforts on practical cooperation and partnerships that will help us influence the course of global events to serve the interests of Canadians. We will rebuild, rearm, and reinvest in the Canadian Armed Forces.”

Likewise, the proposal emphasizes that Canada aims to foster stability with international partners though a “global system” of partnerships. 

“We will broaden our options and build our resilience by diversifying our economic and security ties around the world, including with new partners in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere,” Carney said in his message. 

Canada last released a national security strategy in 2004.

Notably, the announcement comes less than a week after Canada received its first two F-35 fighter jets on Friday. In March 2025, shortly after Carney assumed his post as prime minister, Ottawa had put a hold on original plans to purchase 88 of the fighter jets due to trade disputes and President Donald Trump’s rhetoric about Canada becoming the 51st US state. Canada so far has purchased 16 F-35 aircraft.

Although Trump has reiterated his intention for Canada to join the US as recently as this month, he said today during a campaign rally in South Carolina that Ottawa has treated the US “extremely nicely recently,” Reuters reported.