Eighty-One Years, Finally Visited

It took 81 years of formal diplomatic relations for a Canadian minister to set foot in Luxembourg for an official visit. That finally happened on June 20, 2026, when Canada's defence minister David McGuinty met with Luxembourg's defence minister Yuriko Backes for a press conference on Friday afternoon.[1]

Eighty-one years. Canada and Luxembourg have been diplomatic allies since 1945, through the Cold War, the formation of NATO, and decades of multilateral cooperation. And yet no Canadian cabinet minister ever made the trip. Not for a summit, not for a photo opportunity, not even for a layover press conference. The Grand Duchy is small, but it is not that small.

McGuinty framed the visit as part of Canada's effort to strengthen relationships with "dependable partners" amid ongoing tensions with the United States. He said Canada intends to maintain its relationship with the US while expanding defence partnerships with allies who share its values. "When it comes to procurement or the production of military material, we're looking to work with like-minded countries," he said.[1]

Backes argued that the public understands the need for greater defence spending, saying Europe's current vulnerability was partly the result of years of underinvestment. "The Americans are not going to continue to protect us in the way they have done in recent decades. If we want peace on our continent, we must be sure that we can defend ourselves."[1]

McGuinty also touched on the Iran-US talks, saying he remained hopeful that an agreement would be signed and made public on Friday. "I remain hopeful. I think that is all we can do." He cited cyber campaigns and what he called "Russian misbehaviour" in Ukraine's neighbouring countries as reasons for continued investment, noting that much of this work happens covertly.[1]

The timing is not subtle. Canada hit the NATO 2% GDP defence spending target in March 2026. The alliance is now pushing for 5% by 2035. Luxembourg, for its part, has been criticized for lagging on defence spending, though the Grand Duchy has increased its budget in recent years. The visit signals that even small alliances matter when the geopolitical landscape is shifting.

What strikes me is the 81-year gap. Luxembourg hosted the European Court of Justice, the European Investment Bank, and several EU institutions during that time. Canadian leaders visited Brussels, Paris, Berlin, and The Hague regularly. Luxembourg just never made the list. Either it was considered too small to warrant a separate stop, or logistics always worked out to fold it into a broader EU visit that somehow never materialized.

Either way, the precedent is now broken. Whether this becomes a pattern or a one-off depends on what comes next, but at least the streak is over.