Globe-Trotting Carney Turns to Allies as Economic Pressures Build in Canada

Standing in a desolate, snow-covered field 200 miles above the Arctic Circle, Mark Carney looked at ease. He chatted with Germany’s chancellor and Norway’s prime minister as they observed a NATO exercise — troops on cross-country skis and snowmobiles zipping across the ice to battle a simulated Russian threat.

The former central banker came to power a year ago touting his experience at handling crises. At the time, Canadians were in shock over Donald Trump’s tariffs and threats against the country’s sovereignty. Carney promised to shield them from those pressures and won an election. He announced a rapid increase in military spending, partly to bolster the country’s fragile Arctic defenses.