Canada and other countries that are laggards when it comes to military spending should hit the NATO-imposed target of spending two per cent of GDP “as rapidly as humanly possible,” U.S. President Joe Biden’s national security adviser told reporters on the sidelines of the Liberal cabinet retreat in Halifax on Sunday.
Asked by CBC News if he’s satisfied with Canada’s recently announced plan to hit that spending target in eight years’ time, Jake Sullivan said the Biden administration has pushed NATO countries to meet the spending threshold, and while some have complied, “there is still a set of countries that hasn’t — Canada is one of them.”
Sullivan said that on Biden’s watch, the number of NATO countries that meet or exceed the two per cent target has grown from nine to 23.
That means there are nine countries in the 32-member alliance that haven’t reached a target that was first set at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Wales in 2014.
The two per cent threshold was initially established, according to NATO, to “help ensure the alliance’s continued military readiness” and bulk up its capacity in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Crimea and during a period of instability in the Middle East.
During a visit to the Liberal cabinet retreat in Halifax, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan reiterated his government’s expectation that NATO members — including Canada — fulfil their obligations to commit two per cent of their respective GDPs to defence spending.
“The two per cent of GDP guideline is an important indicator of the political resolve of individual allies to contribute to NATO’s common defence efforts,” NATO’s policy statement says on the target.
While Sullivan welcomed what he called Canada’s “historic” commitment to bulk up military spending, he reiterated that the United States would “like to see that two per cent target hit” quickly.
“For every country, we will always be in favour of getting to two per cent as rapidly as humanly possible,” he said.
It’s the first time that a senior U.S. official has publicly commented on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s commitment to reach the target of two per cent of GDP — a commitment that was made after the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., last month without much of a plan to achieve that milestone.
The Canadian military has said that acquiring new submarines and upgrading or replacing its fleet of tank and light-armoured vehicles, among other purchases, would help get Canada over the line, but a more detailed plan has not yet been announced.
And while Canada plans to meet the two per cent target next decade, other allies are already contemplating pushing it to 2.5 per cent so that the alliance is better prepared to deal with the multitude of security challenges faced by its members.
Canada has announced it will partner with the U.S. and Finland to build new icebreakers in Quebec – a multi-billion dollar deal that could help it meet its NATO defence spending target by 2032.
Surprise visit by Sullivan to Halifax
Sullivan made a surprise visit to Halifax to meet with Trudeau and his cabinet as they gather for a strategy session before Parliament’s return next month.
He made the stopover en route to China, where he’s set to meet with that country’s senior leadership during a fraught time for U.S.-China bilateral relations.
Asked if Canada should follow the U.S. in slapping big tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles — a move the Americans made earlier this year to stop a flood of what they call unfairly state-subsidized cars from the likes of BYD and Nio — Sullivan said he’d like to see the countries aligned on the issue.
But Sullivan said it’s up to Canadian officials to make the final call on what, if any, tariffs they levy on those vehicles.
“Canada will make its own determination, but the U.S. does believe that a united front — a co-ordinated approach on these issues — benefits all of us.”
Asked if he had a specific request of Canada and its government given the tense security situation in the Middle East — with the possibility of all-out war brewing between Israel and some of its neighbours — Sullivan said he’s isn’t here to discuss “a particular, specific ask.” He said this sort of meeting is just about “staying on the same page with our counterparts at all levels.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday that Canada ‘fully expects to hit NATO target by 2032,’ referring to the GDP defence spending target of two per cent. Defence minister Bill Blair said significant investments take time and that this is an investment for Canadians, creating jobs and adding dollars to the GDP.
Canada has long been behind most other NATO allies when it comes to military spending.
When Stephen Harper was Conservative prime minister, for example, the country spent less than one per cent of its GDP on defence, according to government data.
Under Trudeau, Canada has made some marginal progress, but successive Liberal defence ministers have punted when asked if the government would achieve the two per cent target and what it would do to get there.
But at the NATO summit in Washington last month, Trudeau told reporters that Canada is now willing to fully commit and achieve the two per cent target in 2032 — a promise that will cost the federal treasury tens of billions of dollars.
“We will continue to explore opportunities that will further increase defence spending and advance Canada’s strategic interests,” he said.
Trudeau’s promise to get to that threshold came after a number of high-ranking U.S. Republicans criticized Canada for its perceived lacklustre military spending.
Following mounting criticism, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada will ramp up investments in defence to meet NATO’s military investment target of two per cent of GDP. Trudeau made this announcement at the close of NATO’s annual summit in Washington.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Canada is riding U.S. “coattails,” while Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell said “it’s time for our northern ally to invest seriously in the hard power required to help preserve prosperity and security across NATO.”
While promising to reach two per cent, Trudeau has also questioned the value of focusing so much attention on the target.
“We continually step up and punch above our weight, something that isn’t always reflected in the crass mathematical calculation that certain people turn to very quickly,” he said.
