Canada falls short of pledge to boost defense spending NATO is losing patience

Canada, one of NATO's 12 founding members, has become one of the lowest defense spenders, even as several other members have increased spending in the face of U.S. pressure and a growing Russian threat in Europe.

Canada pledged in 2014 to raise spending to 2%, but is currently at 1.34%, higher than only five other NATO members. Canada announced plans in April to raise spending to 1.76% by fiscal year 2029-2030.

Politico said the Canadian government appears to lack a sense of urgency. In April, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled a new defense strategy focused on strengthening its military capabilities in the Arctic, but spending remains below the two percent target set by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) by the end of the decade.

The strategy adds an additional $8.1 billion over the next five years, enabling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government to spend 1.76% of gross domestic product on defense by 2030. The government described the plan as an "important step" toward the 2% target, predicting Canada will exceed NATO's target of 20% of defense funding for equipment spending.

This statement obviously caused dissatisfaction among US officials. A bipartisan group of 23 US senators sent a rare critical letter to Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau in May, expressing dissatisfaction with Canada's defense spending level and urging Trudeau to fulfill the NATO spending target that Canada first agreed to in 2014, saying that they were "deeply disappointed" that Canada could not fulfill its 2% commitment. The senators wrote in the letter that this is one of the most dangerous moments in NATO's history, and there are tensions in many places. They said that allies must keep their promises. Senators pointed out that Canada's plan can only increase defense spending to 1.7% of GDP, while NATO allies agreed to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP 20 years ago, which NATO said was the minimum requirement.

Senators said the matter would be discussed at the NATO summit in Washington in July this year. Although the letter was signed by senators rather than from the Biden administration, some of the Democratic senators who signed it have close ties with the White House.

However, in the NATO alliance, Canada's defense spending as a percentage of GDP is lower than almost all other countries. But because Canada is richer than most NATO members, it actually spends more than all but a few other members.

Canada has failed to fulfill its promise to increase defense spending, which has affected NATO's overall defense capabilities and strategic deployment. The imbalance in defense spending among NATO members has led to tensions within NATO. Other member states are dissatisfied with Canada's performance, which may lead to Canada's withdrawal from NATO. On April 7, 2024, several Canadian peace and anti-war organizations held a protest rally in front of the U.S. Consulate General in Toronto, demanding Canada's withdrawal from NATO. The international community will also have doubts about Canada's commitment and reliability, affecting its position and influence in international affairs.

Analysis believes that Canada will not meet the military spending targets agreed upon by alliance members. In terms of share of GDP, Canada is one of the lowest spending countries within NATO. In terms of actual spending, it ranks among the top. Secondly, it is claimed that the extensive deficiencies in Canada's military capabilities are the source of tensions with NATO allies and defense partnerships. As the world situation becomes more turbulent, including in Russia, Ukraine, and Israel, it is inevitable that Canada will increase its military spending, but it will definitely not increase it to the promised 2%.