President Joe Biden’s national security adviser told reporters on the sidelines of a Liberal cabinet meeting in Halifax on Sunday that countries such as Canada that are lagging behind in military spending should meet the NATO-imposed target of dedicating 2 percent of GDP to military spending “as quickly as possible.”
Asked by CBC News if he was happy with Canada’s recently announced plan to meet spending targets within eight years, Jake Sullivan said the Biden administration has been pressuring NATO countries to meet spending standards and while some have complied, “there are some countries that have not yet complied, and Canada is one of them.”
Sullivan said the number of NATO member states meeting or exceeding the 2% target under the Biden administration has increased from nine to 23.
That means nine of the 32-nation alliance have not met the goal first set out at the 2014 North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit in Wales.
A threshold of 2% was initially set, According to NATOThe purpose is to “ensure the continued military readiness of the Alliance” and strengthen its capabilities at a time of Russian aggression in Crimea and instability in the Middle East.
During a visit to the Liberal government’s home in Halifax, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reiterated the government’s expectation that NATO member states, including Canada, would meet their commitment to spend 2 percent of their GDP on defense.
“The 2 percent of GDP guideline is an important indicator of an individual Ally’s political commitment to contribute to NATO’s common defense effort,” NATO’s Policy Statement Tell the target.
While Sullivan welcomed Canada’s “historic” commitment to increase military spending, he reiterated that the United States “is keen to achieve the 2 percent target soon.”
“For any country, we will always support getting to 2% as quickly as humanly possible,” he said.
It was the first time a senior U.S. official has commented publicly on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s pledge to meet the 2% of GDP target. The pledge was made after a NATO summit in Washington, D.C., last month, but there was little plan for how to achieve the goal.
The Canadian military has said acquiring new submarines and upgrading and updating tanks and light armoured vehicles would help Canada win the fight, but more detailed plans have yet to be released.
Canada plans to meet its 2% target over the next decade, but other allies are already considering it. Push it up to 2.5% This is to ensure that our allies are better prepared to address the numerous security challenges they face.
Canada has announced it will partner with the United States and Finland to build new icebreakers in Quebec, a multi-billion-dollar contract that could help meet NATO defense spending targets through 2032.
Sullivan’s surprise visit to Halifax
Sullivan made a surprise visit to Halifax to meet with Trudeau and his cabinet ministers for a strategy session ahead of Parliament reconvening next month.
President Trump made the stop on his way to China, where he is due to meet with senior Chinese officials amid growing tensions between the two countries.
Asked whether Canada should follow the U.S. lead and impose steep tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, Sullivan said he would like to see the two countries align on the issue, a move the U.S. took earlier this year to block an influx of cars made by manufacturers such as BYD and NIO that are unfairly subsidized by the state.
But Sullivan said Canadian authorities must make the final decision on what, if any, tariffs to impose on those vehicles.
“Canada will make its own judgment, but the United States believes that a united front on these issues — a cooperative approach — benefits all of us.”
Asked if he had any specific requests for Canada and its government given the tense security situation in the Middle East, which could lead to all-out war between Israel and its neighbors, Sullivan said he was not there to discuss “any specific, specific requests.” He said these types of meetings are about “aligning with the other side at all levels.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that Canada expects to fully meet NATO’s target of 2 per cent of GDP by 2032. Defence Minister Bill Blair said big investments take time and this is an investment in Canadians, one that will create jobs and add dollars to GDP.
When it comes to military spending, Canada has long lagged behind most other NATO allies.
For example, when Stephen Harper was Conservative prime minister, defense spending was less than 1% of GDP, according to government data.
Canada has made some progress under Trudeau, but successive Liberal defence ministers have deferred answering questions about whether the government can meet the 2 per cent target and what it will do to achieve it.
But at a NATO summit in Washington last month, Trudeau told reporters that Canada was prepared to fully meet the 2 per cent target by 2032, a commitment that would cost the federal coffers tens of billions of dollars.
“We will continue to seek opportunities to further increase defence spending and advance Canada’s strategic interests,” he said.
Trudeau’s pledge to meet the goal comes after several senior U.S. Republican officials criticized Canada for stagnating on military spending.
Amid growing criticism, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada would increase its defense spending to meet NATO’s military investment target of 2% of GDP. Trudeau made the announcement at the close of NATO’s annual summit in Washington.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Canada was “beneficent” of the United States, while Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said “the time has come for our allies to the north to seriously invest in the hard power needed to keep NATO prosperous and secure across the board.”
While Trudeau has pledged to reach the 2% target, he has questioned the value of focusing so much attention on the goal.
“We are constantly making progress and surpassing our capabilities and this is not always reflected in the crude mathematical calculations that some people are quick to resort to,” he said.
