Canada has no intention of developing nuclear weapons, the country's Defense Minister David McGuinty has announced.
According to Operative Information Center-OMM, the minister emphasized that Canada remains a state strictly committed to the principles of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. The statement serves as an official clarification of the government's strategic military policy in response to recent public debates regarding national security capabilities.
The discussion was prompted by comments made on February 3 by General Wayne Eyre, the former Chief of the Defense Staff of the Canadian Armed Forces. During a security conference held in Ottawa, General Eyre suggested that Canada should not dismiss the idea of developing its own nuclear deterrent to ensure long-term national security. He noted that Canada possesses the necessary civil infrastructure, including nuclear power plants and a highly skilled scientific community, to potentially develop such an arsenal.
As a founding member of NATO and a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Canada has historically relied on the "nuclear umbrella" provided by the United States rather than maintaining its own stockpile. The Canadian government continues to advocate for global disarmament and maintains that its nuclear technology will remain exclusively dedicated to peaceful energy and medical research purposes.
