2024-07-11 06:26:29
Washington: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is now the target of his NATO allies. Member countries believe that Canada is weakening NATO. This is causing growing anger among NATO allies. Canada, one of the 12 founding countries of NATO, has not met its military expenditure target. Along with this, it has also not invested enough in new equipment. Due to this, questions have been raised on its commitment to NATO. NATO members are going to meet in Washington this week, where the issue of Canada’s decreasing defense participation will remain hot.
NATO members are expected to put pressure on Canada to give more money at this meeting. Former US State Department arms control official Max Bergman told Politico that ‘it is very clear that while everyone else is spending more, Canada is not even trying.’ A US Congress official says that ‘European countries are frustrated that they are being criticized, while Canada is not being pressured by Washington.’
23 US senators wrote a letter
According to a report by Politico, a bipartisan group of 23 US senators expressed their disappointment in a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, urging Canada to meet its obligations. NATO countries committed to spending 2% of their GDP on defence in 2014. This year, 23 of the 32 NATO countries will achieve this target, but Canada is still lagging behind. A leaked internal report shows that the Canadian military is underfunded. Also, a large portion of its equipment is considered unavailable and unusable.
Canada is weakening NATO
Canada’s low investment impacts the country’s ability to fully participate in NATO’s defence initiatives and raises questions about its ability to counter threats. Despite a strong economy, Canada’s defence spending remains inadequate. The Canadian government’s new defence policy projects spending to reach just 1.7 per cent by 2030. NATO diplomats and officials have at various times expressed concerns over Canada’s stance. A US congressional official has said they will continue to do so as there are no penalties for not achieving the target.
What will happen at the summit?
The summit in Washington is expected to put pressure on Canada. The summit will emphasize that ‘2 percent is not a limit but a minimum limit’ for NATO defense budget. Countries like the US, Poland, Norway and Estonia have already crossed the 2% limit, which shows their strong commitment to defense. US officials and NATO diplomats may put pressure on Canada to mark it apart. If Trump returns to the White House after the US election, the situation may worsen, as his administration may put more pressure on Canada to increase its defense spending. During his previous term, Trump often criticized NATO members for not meeting the 2% target.