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Canada and other countries that lag behind in military spending should meet the NATO-imposed target of spending 2 percent of GDP “as quickly as humanly possible,” US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser told reporters at the Liberal cabinet meeting in Halifax on Sunday.
When asked by CBC News if he was satisfied with Canada’s recently announced plan to meet that spending target within eight years, Jake Sullivan said the Biden administration has pushed NATO countries to meet the spending threshold. While some countries have met it, “there’s still a group of countries that haven’t — Canada is one of them.”
Sullivan said that under Biden, the number of NATO countries meeting or exceeding the two percent target has increased from nine to 23.
That means nine countries in the 32-member alliance have yet to meet the target set at the 2014 North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Wales.
The two percent threshold was initially set, according to NATOto “help ensure the alliance’s continued military readiness” and increase its capacity following the Russian invasion of Crimea and during a period of instability in the Middle East.
During a visit to the Liberal Party cabinet in Halifax, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan reiterated his government’s expectation that NATO members, including Canada, meet their commitments to spend two percent of their respective GDPs on defence spending.
“The two percent of GDP guideline is an important indicator of the political determination of individual allies to contribute to NATO’s common defense effort,” the NATO foreign minister said. policy statement says on the target.
Sullivan welcomed what he called Canada’s “historic” commitment to increase military spending, but he reiterated that the United States “would like to see the 2 percent target met quickly.”
“We will always be in favor of reaching two percent in every country as soon as possible,” he said.
It is the first time a senior US official has spoken publicly about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s pledge to meet the 2 percent of GDP target, which came after NATO’s summit in Washington DC last month, with little in the way of plans to achieve the milestone.
The Canadian military has said that buying new submarines and upgrading or replacing its fleet of tanks and light armored vehicles, among other purchases, would help Canada get over the line. However, no more detailed plan has been announced.
And while Canada plans to meet the two percent target in the next decade, other allies are already considering it. increasing it to 2.5 percent so that the alliance is better prepared to meet the many security challenges facing its members.
Canada has announced it will build new icebreakers in Quebec, along with the US and Finland, in a multibillion-dollar deal that could help Canada meet its 2032 NATO defence spending target.
Sullivan’s surprise visit to Halifax
Sullivan made a surprise visit to Halifax to meet with Trudeau and his cabinet, who are discussing strategy before Parliament reconvenes next month.
He made the stopover on his way to China, where he will meet the country’s top leaders, at a time when bilateral relations between the US and China are strained.
Asked whether Canada should follow the U.S. lead and impose steep tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles — a move the Americans took earlier this year to stem the tide of what they say are unfairly state-subsidized cars from companies like BYD and Nio — Sullivan said he would like to see the countries agree on the issue.
However, Sullivan said it will be up to Canadian authorities to ultimately decide whether to impose duties on these vehicles, and if so, what kind.
“Canada will make its own decision, but the US believes that a united front – a coordinated approach to these issues – benefits us all.”
Asked if he had a specific request for Canada and its government given the tense security situation in the Middle East — with the possibility of all-out war looming between Israel and some of its neighbors — Sullivan said he was not here to discuss “a specific request.” He said these kinds of meetings are just about “staying in line with our colleagues at all levels.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that Canada “fully expects to meet NATO’s 2032 target,” referring to the 2 percent GDP target for defense spending. Defense Minister Bill Blair said significant investments take time and that this is an investment for Canadians, creating jobs and adding dollars to GDP.
Canada has long lagged behind most other NATO allies when it comes to military spending.
For example, when Stephen Harper was Prime Minister of the Conservative Party, the country spent less than 1 percent of its GDP on defense, according to government data.
Under Trudeau, Canada has made some progress, but successive Liberal Party defence ministers have been cagey when asked whether the government would meet the two per cent target and what it would do to achieve it.
But at the NATO summit in Washington last month, Trudeau told reporters that Canada is now prepared to fully commit to meeting the 2 per cent target by 2032 – a pledge that will cost the federal coffers tens of billions of dollars.
“We continue to look for opportunities to further increase defence spending and advance Canada’s strategic interests,” he said.
Trudeau’s pledge to reach that threshold came after several senior U.S. Republicans criticized Canada for reportedly underperforming military spending.
After mounting criticism, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada will increase defense spending to meet NATO’s military investment target of 2 percent of GDP. Trudeau made the announcement at the end of NATO’s annual summit in Washington.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Canada was riding the American “skids,” while Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said “it’s time for our northern ally to make serious investments in the hard power needed to maintain NATO’s prosperity and security.”
Trudeau pledged to reach two percent, but he also questioned the value of devoting so much attention to that goal.
“We are constantly improving and surpassing ourselves, which is not always reflected in the gross mathematical calculations that some people are quick to do,” he said.
