Prime Minister Carney Speaks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Davos

Prime Minister Mark Carney held talks with United Kingdom Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on January 20, 2026, while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The discussion focused on international security, Arctic sovereignty, Ukraine, and the enduring bilateral relationship between Canada and the United Kingdom.

During the call, both leaders reaffirmed that any decisions regarding the future of Greenland rest solely with Greenland and Denmark. The issue was discussed in the broader context of Arctic stability and geopolitical security. Carney outlined Canada’s ongoing efforts to significantly strengthen Arctic security, including increased military capacity and new investments in critical northern infrastructure. Canada will continue working closely with its allies to protect the Arctic, which remains strategically vital as NATO’s northern and western flanks.

The leaders also addressed the war in Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of sustaining momentum toward ending the conflict and achieving a just and lasting peace for Ukrainians. Canada and the United Kingdom remain aligned in their support for Ukraine and in their broader commitment to international law and sovereignty.

Canada and the United Kingdom maintain a long standing and wide ranging relationship rooted in shared history, institutions, and values. Both countries share the same sovereign, His Majesty King Charles III, and are among the world’s oldest parliamentary democracies. Their partnership has been shaped by cooperation in two world wars and in nearly every major international conflict over the past century.

Security and defence cooperation remains a central pillar of the relationship. Canada and the UK work closely through NATO, the United Nations, and bilateral defence channels. Their defence ministries collaborate on military operations, intelligence sharing, training programs, and professional exchanges. In recent years, both countries have worked alongside international partners in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, and continue coordinated support for Ukraine in response to Russia’s invasion. The UK is also one of Canada’s most important partners in defence science and technology and a major export destination for Canadian defence products.

Beyond defence, Canada and the UK cooperate extensively in international organizations including the G7, G20, NATO, OECD, OSCE, and the Commonwealth. Through these forums, both countries promote shared priorities such as democracy, human rights, gender equality, climate action, and global development, while addressing emerging challenges including foreign information manipulation and technological governance.

Economic ties between the two countries remain strong. In 2024, the United Kingdom was Canada’s third largest single country trading partner for goods and services, with total trade valued at 61 billion dollars. Nearly 3,500 Canadian companies export to the UK, the vast majority of them small and medium sized enterprises. The UK is Canada’s second largest source of foreign direct investment after the United States, with more than 1,100 UK affiliated companies operating in Canada and employing over 169,000 people.

Canada and the UK also maintain close cooperation in science, technology, and innovation. In 2024, both countries signed updated memoranda of understanding covering areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, clean energy, and engineering biology. These agreements support joint research, commercialization, and scientific diplomacy.

Trade relations are governed by the Canada United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement, which entered into force in April 2021 and preserves the core benefits previously established under the Canada European Union trade framework. The UK also became a full member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership in December 2024, with Canada’s domestic ratification process currently underway.

The discussion in Davos underscored the depth of the Canada UK relationship and the continued coordination between Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Starmer on key global issues.