Canada is taking a much broader view of what counts as a security threat. Days after releasing a new national security strategy, Ottawa has outlined a G7 push that spans artificial intelligence, Russia’s war in Ukraine, instability in Haiti and threats capable of crossing North American borders without warning. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand will bring these priorities to Paris for the November 9–10 meeting of G7 foreign ministers, where the agenda also stretches to the Middle East, Africa and the Indo-Pacific.
At stake is more than diplomatic coordination. For Canadians, the issues touch the reliability of essential services, the cost of energy and the country’s ability to protect its sovereignty in an increasingly unpredictable world. The meetings are intended to shape cooperation; concrete results still need to be negotiated.
Canada Takes Its Security Agenda to Paris
Canada’s November 8 announcement sets out a wide agenda for Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand at the G7 meeting in Paris on November 9 and 10. She will lead talks on artificial intelligence, Russia’s war against Ukraine, Haiti and hybrid threats targeting North America, Europe and beyond. Anand is also expected to meet individually with foreign counterparts. The gathering includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, alongside the European Union.
France holds the 2026 G7 presidency. Originally planned for Marseille, the meeting recently moved to Paris and follows an earlier gathering in March. The G7 is neither a world government nor a military command; its influence comes from aligning major partners around shared priorities. For Canada, the objective is to connect problems that can seem unrelated, from cyberattacks to wars abroad, and strengthen cooperation. Whether the conversations produce practical commitments remains an open question.
Artificial Intelligence Becomes a Front-Line Security Concern
Artificial intelligence is no longer discussed only in terms of productivity or consumer technology. France made AI security a Paris priority after discussions at the June Évian summit and UN Security Council in September. Advanced models can strengthen digital defences, but attackers may use similar capabilities to accelerate intrusions or impersonate people. Governments face a difficult balancing act: protecting the public while preserving the benefits of innovation.
Canada is preparing its institutions. A federal cybersecurity directive effective October 1 instructs departments to identify critical services, strengthen identity controls, fix vulnerabilities faster and prepare to contain breaches. The directive recognizes that increasingly capable AI can make existing weaknesses more dangerous. For Canadians, the consequences extend beyond technology firms. A compromised benefits platform or government service can interrupt ordinary lives. Paris offers an opportunity to compare protective approaches, not evidence that G7 members have already adopted a new, binding international AI rulebook.
Russia’s War Keeps Ukraine at the Centre of G7 Diplomacy
Ukraine remains central to G7 diplomacy. France says ministers will focus on Ukraine’s military capabilities, financing and energy resilience. As temperatures fall, attacks on power infrastructure jeopardize electricity and heating for families. At a September G7 meeting in New York, ministers discussed stronger air defence, additional assistance and pressure on Russia’s war economy. Canada’s position in Paris therefore builds on existing commitments rather than launching an entirely new effort.
According to an October readout, Ottawa has committed more than $8.5 billion in military support to Ukraine since the full-scale invasion and imposed over 3,500 sanctions in response to Russian actions. Canada has also extended its NATO Operation REASSURANCE mission through 2031. Budget 2026 proposes $7.6 billion over five years for its expansion, sourced from existing defence resources. Those commitments show how the war shapes Canadian military planning. The challenge is ensuring assistance remains coordinated, effective and responsive to Ukraine’s needs.
Hybrid Threats Blur the Line Between War and Peace
A key phrase in Canada’s announcement is “hybrid threats.” These are pressures that need not involve a conventional military attack: cyber intrusions, espionage, sabotage and information manipulation can all undermine a country. In its National Cyber Threat Assessment 2025–2026, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security warns that state-backed operators can combine disruptive network activity with influence campaigns. It identifies Russia as a significant cyber threat, partly because of Canada’s NATO membership, support for Ukraine and presence in the Arctic.
Consequences can be ordinary. Ransomware targeting essential services may interrupt operations, while attacks on major suppliers can spread through connected businesses. Canada’s assessment also warns that integrated North American pipelines, power grids and rail systems create shared vulnerabilities. Not every cyberattack is state-directed, and identifying perpetrators requires evidence. At the G7, the objective is to strengthen cross-border awareness and resilience before problems cascade, rather than treating every serious disruption as war.
North American Defence Now Starts Farther North
Canada’s North American agenda reflects Arctic concerns. In October, Ottawa released its first national security strategy in more than two decades, prioritizing defence, intelligence and economic resilience. The North is central to that thinking. A threat approaching through Arctic airspace is a Canadian concern even when it also affects the United States. Both governments need early detection where essential infrastructure is closely linked.
A concrete example is Canada’s Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar program. In June 2026, the government formalized arrangements with Australia to acquire technology capable of detecting threats approaching northern regions at great distances. Ottawa values the broader program at more than $6 billion and anticipates an initial capability in December 2029. The project supports modernization of NORAD, the binational aerospace defence command. Radar alone will not prevent disinformation or ransomware, but it demonstrates that continental security requires different tools for different threats, along with sustained cooperation beyond diplomatic meetings.
Haiti Shows Why Regional Instability Matters to Canada
Haiti is central to Anand’s agenda, with stark humanitarian stakes. The United Nations reported in October that 1,123 people had been killed and 440 injured amid gang violence and security operations between July and early October. Nearly 1.5 million people were displaced, leaving families without reliable access to homes, schools and livelihoods. The UN also warned that the international Gang Suppression Force remained below its authorized strength, while long-delayed elections faced renewed uncertainty.
Canada has an established role in the response. In September, Anand announced $25.4 million for security, governance and community resilience, including efforts to counter organized crime, prevent gang recruitment and address gender-based violence. Global Affairs Canada said assistance to Haiti since 2022 exceeded $570 million. The Paris conversations offer another opportunity to coordinate international support. But lasting stability will require more than security personnel: functioning institutions, credible elections, essential services and Haitian leadership remain central to recovery.
Middle East Instability Is Already Reaching Energy Markets
The G7 agenda reaches the Middle East, where shipping disruptions and conflict can affect household budgets. Ministers will discuss regional stability and secure energy supplies. The International Energy Agency estimates that roughly one-quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade passed through the Strait of Hormuz in 2025. Disruption to such a narrow, heavily used route can send consequences across global markets, including into prices for fuel, freight and everyday goods.
The economic impact has already prompted collective action. On October 2, G7 leaders announced measures to ease energy volatility, including better coordination among refineries and an accelerated release of 100 million barrels under an IEA-led response over four months, with particular concern for diesel. The IEA later reported continued tightness in diesel markets. Separate from November’s talks, those steps show how security and economics increasingly intertwine. Canadian transport operators and consumers have a direct stake in stable international shipping routes.
Africa and the Indo-Pacific Expand the Security Picture
Sudan and the Horn of Africa are G7 priorities, alongside other continental challenges. On November 6, the UN refugee agency and International Organization for Migration warned that 15.4 million people in Sudan urgently needed shelter and basic household items, yet resources would allow aid agencies to prioritize assistance for only about one-tenth of them. Behind those figures are families driven from home into unsafe communities. Diplomacy must therefore address humanitarian access alongside armed violence.
In the Indo-Pacific, the emphasis shifts: maritime law, regional partnerships and secure trade routes. Canada’s defence department reported that HMCS Regina joined Philippine and American forces for a maritime activity in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in September 2026. Such exercises aim to build cooperation and demonstrate support for lawful use of the sea. The G7 cannot settle disputes, but it offers a forum to align diplomacy with practical security activities already underway across the Pacific.
Ports, Criminal Networks and Humanitarian Aid Enter the Discussion
Security cooperation extends into commerce. A G7+ Ports Network is set to convene first in Marseille alongside the Paris ministerial. It aims to help countries protect ports from drug trafficking. Criminal networks can exploit the same shipping systems that businesses depend on for legitimate goods. At a G7 interior ministers’ meeting in Ottawa in November 2025, countries committed to joint investigations, information sharing and early-warning cooperation on drugs and precursor chemicals moving through ports.
The agenda also emphasizes another side of logistics: getting humanitarian supplies to people who need them. France expects World Food Programme executive director Luke J. Lindberg to join discussions about food security and more effective aid supply chains. Food and medicine cannot help if deliveries are blocked. These priorities—intercepting illicit cargo while protecting essential shipments—show why transport networks matter to international security. They also create practical areas where cooperation can be measured after ministers return home.
Allied Disagreements Will Test What Canada Can Achieve
Shared dangers do not guarantee shared responses. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is attending the Paris meeting, and the Associated Press has reported tensions between Washington and other G7 members over Ukraine, NATO, tariffs and the Middle East. France has signalled that the gathering may not produce a joint communiqué. Canada has announced planned discussions, not a signed security agreement or approved collective strategy.
Ottawa’s domestic priorities provide a measure of what to watch. Its national security strategy, unveiled October 29, calls for stronger intelligence cooperation, Canadian defence capabilities, resilient supply chains and diversified partnerships. Anand is expected to pursue bilateral meetings alongside the G7 dialogue. Results would become clearer through subsequent information-sharing arrangements, practical cyber coordination, sustained assistance to crisis regions or funded defence plans. For Canadians, success should be judged less by diplomatic language than by whether cooperation actually protects essential services, democratic institutions and national sovereignty.
