Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced that they will reach NATO’s defense spending target of two per cent this year, arguing the country had to revitalize its military “to defend every inch of our sovereign territory.”
Carney warned Canada has not done enough to prepare itself for evolving threats from Russia, cyberattacks and the advancing national security implications of climate change. The long-held view that Canada’s geographic location will protect us is becoming increasingly archaic,” Carney said.
With threats facing the country multiplying, the prime minister said Canada “will achieve NATO’s two percent target this year – half a decade ahead of schedule.” “We are too reliant on the United States,” AFP cited Carney as saying. Trump has repeatedly pressured NATO members to increase defense spending, arguing the United States was paying more than its fair share for collective security, AFP reported.
In April, the alliance announced that 22 of its 32 members hit the 2 per cent spending target. But Trump has pushed NATO members to spend even more and warned the United States could refuse to protect countries that don’t commit what he considers enough resources to defense. He also accused the US of looking to “monetize its hegemony” by making access to its market more costly, BBC reported. Carney said Canada would pursue new security relationships with “like-minded partners,” with a specific focus on Europe.
“We are actively seeking to strengthen transatlantic security,” he said, indicating a Canada-EU summit this month will be “will be more important than ever,” AFP reported. Since taking office in mid-March, Carney has emphasized the changing security landscape in Canada’s Arctic, where receding ice caused by climate change is opening the region’s vast natural resources to fierce competition. Canada spent 1.4 per cent of its GDP on defense in 2024.
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