Key points
- Canada had to revitalise its military to defend country: Carney
- Says we are too reliant on the United States
- Canada spent 1.4pc of its GDP on defence in 2024: BBC
ISLAMABAD: Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced that they will reach NATO’s defence spending target of two per cent this year, arguing the country had to revitalise its military “to defend every inch of our sovereign territory.”
Carney warned Canada has not done enough to prepare itself for evolving threats from Russia, cyberattacks and the advancing national security implications of climate change.
“Canada’s geographic location”
“The long-held view that Canada’s geographic location will protect us is becoming increasingly archaic,” Carney said.
With threats facing the country multiplying, the prime minister said Canada “will achieve NATO’s two percent target this year – half a decade ahead of schedule.”
“We are too reliant on the United States,” AFP cited Carney as saying.
Trump has repeatedly pressured NATO members to increase defence spending, arguing the United States was paying more than its fair share for collective security, AFP reported.
In April, the alliance announced that 22 of its 32 members hit the 2 per cent spending target.
But Trump has pushed NATO members to spend even more and warned the United States could refuse to protect countries that don’t commit what he considers enough resources to defence.
He also accused the US of looking to “monetise its hegemony” by making access to its market more costly, BBC reported.
“Like-minded partners”
Carney said Canada would pursue new security relationships with “like-minded partners,” with a specific focus on Europe.
“We are actively seeking to strengthen transatlantic security,” he said, indicating a Canada-EU summit this month will be “will be more important than ever,” AFP reported.
Since taking office in mid-March, Carney has emphasised the changing security landscape in Canada’s Arctic, where receding ice caused by climate change is opening the region’s vast natural resources to fierce competition, AFP reported. Canada spent 1.4 per cent of its GDP on defence in 2024, according to BBC.
