Canada Expected to Reach NATO’s Defence Spending Target by 2023, Trudeau Confirms

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau states that Canada anticipates meeting NATO’s defense spending target by 2032, with plans in place to reach the 2 percent benchmark, although specific details were not provided.

Canada’s announcement was made at the end of the NATO Summit in Washington, D.C. after facing criticism for being the only member country without a plan to meet the 2 percent GDP spending requirement.

At a press conference on July 11, Mr. Trudeau mentioned that Canada will explore opportunities to increase defense spending strategically to advance the country’s interests.

Ottawa has committed to conducting regular defense reviews, including a new defense policy update in 2028, as part of the process to increase spending.

While all NATO allies, including Canada, renewed their pledge to spend at least 2 percent of GDP on defense, Canada currently spends less than 1.4 percent of its GDP on the military.

Canada’s updated defense policy aims to reach 1.76 percent by 2029, with clear plans in place to meet the 2 percent commitment by 2032, including growing enlistment and procurement of new submarines.

Mr. Trudeau highlighted that using the 2 percent spending guideline as the sole measure of NATO commitments may not fully reflect a country’s overall contributions.

Words of Criticism

Canada’s approach to meeting its NATO obligations has faced criticism from U.S. congressional Republican leaders, who called on Canada to invest more in defense capabilities.

The criticism comes as bipartisan U.S. senators wrote a letter to Mr. Trudeau urging Canada to meet the NATO spending target, expressing disappointment in Canada’s projected defense spending figures.

Noé Chartier contributed to this report.