NATO secretary general urges Ottawa to meet defense spending target

OTTAWA — Canada must meet NATO’s minimum defense spending target and come up with a plan on how it will meet it as a way to show authoritarian regimes that Western allies are aligned, the alliance’s secretary general said Wednesday .

Figures released by NATO this week show Canada is expected to spend 1.37 percent of its gross domestic product on defense this year, well below the 2 percent target.

“Canada’s position in NATO is strong, but at the same time, of course, we expect all allies to honor their promise to invest two percent,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during an event hosted by the NATO Association of Canada in Ottawa.

Before Stoltenberg’s remarks, Defense Secretary Bill Blair promised that the goal would eventually be achieved as Russia’s war in Ukraine raises the threat of a wider conflict in Europe.

Last year, members agreed that two percent should be a minimum, a reflection of concerns about Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Stoltenberg acknowledged that it is difficult for politicians to prioritize defense over social services, but said that a prerequisite for success in any Western country is peacekeeping and investment in security.

Canada faces the same challenges as all allied countries that have budgets, he said.

“They’re worried about fiscal balance. They want to spend money on health, education and other things,” he said.

But at the end of the day, if those countries are not able to prevent war, their efforts in health, education and climate change “will fail,” he said.

His spending remarks received enthusiastic applause from Canada’s NATO Association, including former defense minister Anita Anand, who snuck into the back to listen to his remarks.

A handful of protesters gathered in front of a building in the parliamentary compound where Stoltenberg spoke.

On the sidewalk in front of the building, “Canada lagging behind our NATO allies” was written in chalk, along with “Trudeau and Blair are the laughingstock of the world” and “Canadians don’t laugh.”

Stoltenberg’s visit came on the same day that Russia and North Korea signed an agreement pledging mutual aid if either country faces “aggression”.

Stoltenberg expressed concern that Russia could provide support to North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs and that China “supports Russia’s war economy” by supplying electronics that are used in weapons and in the fight against Ukraine.

“So the answer is that when they are increasingly aligned, all the authoritarian regimes like North Korea, China, Iran and Russia, then it is even more important that we are aligned as countries that believe in freedom and democracy,” said he.

Defense spending between European allies and Canada has risen by nearly 18 percent this year alone, Stoltenberg said during a speech at the White House on Monday — the biggest increase in decades.

Blair said Canada’s defense spending would rise to at least 1.75 percent of GDP by 2029.

Additional spending on a new fleet of submarines and integrated air and missile defense systems is likely to push the figure above the two percent mark, Blair said.

“Let me assure you that we have worked very hard within our Department of Defence, with the Government of Canada, but also with our NATO allies,” Blair said.

Allies were “very encouraged” by a defense policy update published by Canada earlier this year, he said.

Defense spending will be among a number of topics Stoltenberg said he would discuss with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with whom he had dinner on Wednesday.

The secretary general warmly embraced Trudeau and Ottawa, calling Canada “home” and the prime minister a “friend.”

Stoltenberg also wants Canada to step up its contribution to maritime and northern operations.

Both Blair and Anand, now chairman of the treasury board, admitted this week that defense spending was being delayed by a shortage of procurement workers.

“We have the ability to accelerate spending. It takes an investment in people to get the job done,” Blair said.

The Liberal government has allocated $1.8 billion over 20 years to increase the number of workers who can purchase new equipment, recruit, train new soldiers and upgrade infrastructure.

NATO leaders are set to meet next month in Washington, DC for an annual summit and mark the alliance’s 75th anniversary.

Increasing funding for Ukraine will be high on the agenda after Stoltenberg presented a proposal for all NATO allies to contribute 40 billion euros a year, Blair said.

At the White House on Monday, Stoltenberg said his expectation for next month’s meeting is that the allies will agree to “step up financial and military support for Ukraine” and reduce the burden on the US.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 19, 2024.

— With files from Sarah Ritchie and The Associated Press.

Mickey Djuric, Canadian Press