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Connecting the dots would divide Hans Island almost precisely in half.

But whether Ottawa and Copenhagen approve the settlement plan, and when it might be unveiled, may be a harder decision for politicians.

“The political complexities of making an announcement are, in many ways, much more complicated than settling the actual territorial dispute,” said Whitney Lackenbauer, associate professor of history at St. Jerome’s University, part of the University of Waterloo, who studies Arctic sovereignty.

“Both governments publicly staked their sovereignty claims. The early messaging of ‘standing up for Canada’ puts our government in a difficult position.”

Rob Huebert, an Arctic security specialist at the University of Calgary’s Centre for Military and Strategic Studies, said: “Settling is not necessarily a bad thing — it gets the irritant out of the way. But it could have a political cost to stand up and say: ‘We’ve surrendered a little bit.’”

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Despite word of a draft settlement, a spokesman for the Minister of Foreign Affairs said Ottawa has not yet accepted a plan.

“Canada and Denmark are cooperating in developing a mutually agreeable way forward with respect to Hans Island,” said Joseph Lavoie.

“The dispute continues to be well-managed in accordance with the 2005 Joint Statement on Hans Island. Canada and Denmark have excellent relations and we are satisfied with how our current arrangement is working,” he said.