Canada’s days of freeloading on NATO allies must end
‘Trudeau can no longer ignore calls for increased defence spending — something two-thirds of Canadians support’
As NATO leaders meet this week in Vilnius, the alliance is faced with profound geostrategic challenges — primarily from Russia and China. These challenges amount to the greatest test to NATO since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. Amidst this backdrop, we have seen profound shifts within the alliance.
How are our allies responding? First, we have seen the landmark decisions by both Finland and Sweden to accede to NATO (the former has joined, while it is expected the latter will follow shortly). Second, there has been a marked pivot for several states to commit to greater defence spending. Poland has pledged to double the long-established NATO commitment of two per cent of GDP spending on defence to reach four per cent. Meanwhile, despite its uneven approach to Russia’s war in Ukraine, Germany has shaken off complacency of the past and agreed to meet the two per cent target through its announced Zeitenwende or “turning point.”
This is not just limited to partners in the alliance. Our most trusted Asian allies — Japan and South Korea — are also stepping up. In perhaps an even more significant shift than Berlin, Japan announced last year its aim to double its defence spending to the two per cent threshold within the next five years. Meanwhile, South Korea, a country that has long spent on national defence due to the constant threat from North Korea, has been one of the most reliable backfillers of arms to Europe outside of the United States.
Meanwhile, where has Canada been? Ottawa remains stuck at approximately 1.3 per cent of GDP on defence, despite these tectonic shifts in the geopolitical landscape. Making matters worse, according to recently leaked documents, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has indicated that not only will Canada not commit to meeting the two per cent spending target, but that the country may never reach that amount. This lines up with Canada’s long-delayed defence policy update and the fact that defence spending was buried deep in the past federal budget.
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Our NATO allies have little patience left for Trudeau’s freeloading
