U.S. says Canada's claim over Northwest Passage 'illegitimate,' sparking fresh war of words

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has ignited a fresh war of words between the U.S. and Canada after calling Canada's claim to the Northwest Passage "illegitimate" during a speech at the Arctic Council in Finland on May 6.

Pompeo offered that characterization during a wide-ranging speech in Finland today in which he also warned against China’s increased Arctic presence, saying it threatens North American security and could be harmful to the environment.

A leading international-security expert says Pompeo’s branding of a longtime disagreement on Arctic policy between the Canada and the U.S. is a “stunning rebuke” of the 1988 Arctic Co-operation agreement between the two countries.

Pompeo attempted to walk back his comments on May 7 during a meeting with Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, saying "challenges in the Arctic aren't between the United States and Canada."

However, Pompeo's back track may have come too late, as enraged parliamentarians called on Ottawa to take a measured stance against the comments during Question Period on May 7.

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