Vincent Rigby on The Arctic Appetites of Donald Trump | Policy Magazine
January 29, 2026 | In Policy Magazine, Vincent Rigby, writing with Lawrence L. Herman, warns that U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to annex Greenland signals a bigger risk to Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic. They argue that renewed U.S. expansionist rhetoric alongside American rejection of Canada's claim that the Northwest Passage constitutes internal waters raises the prospect of future U.S. military or naval incursions in the region.
Rigby and Herman contend that Canada can no longer afford a reactive or symbolic Arctic strategy. They call for a more assertive approach that includes regular Canadian naval transits and strengthening Arctic infrastructure to demonstrate effective control in the region. The authors also stress the importance of continued cooperation with allies and with the United States, arguing that credible Canadian capability is essential to deter aggression while sustaining a defence partnership in the Arctic.
