A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has written a letter to the prime minister urging him to meet the NATO spending target Canada agreed to a decade ago. The Swedish flag is tied to a flagpole and surrounded by the flags of other NATO nations, as protocol prepare for a flag raising ceremony to mark the accession of Sweden at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Monday, March 11, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Geert Vanden Wijngaert
OTTAWA – A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has written a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, urging him to meet the NATO spending target Canada agreed to a decade ago.
All NATO allies pledged to spend at least two per cent of GDP on defence, but Canada is spending well below that at around 1.33 per cent.
In a letter dated today, 23 senators say Canada is a valued ally and note its contributions, including leading a multinational battle group in Latvia.
But they say the alliance is facing a severe threat landscape and they are calling on all NATO countries to uphold their commitment.
Under its new defence policy, the federal government estimates defence spending will rise to 1.7 per cent of GDP by 2029.
The senators say they’re profoundly disappointed that Canada has no plans to meet the target in this decade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2024.
