Prime Minister Justin Trudeau waves as he boards a government plane as he departs for the NATO Summit from the airport on July 8, 2024 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
WASHINGTON – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be gathering with NATO leaders today to mark the 75th anniversary of the defensive alliance as Russia escalates its aggression towards Ukraine.
The ongoing battle in Ukraine will top the agenda of the three-day summit following Russian missile attacks which left death and destruction, including at a large children’s hospital in Kyiv.
New robust measures to support Ukraine are set to be announced during the summit and officials say it will include information on the war-ravaged country’s efforts towards NATO membership.
Trudeau will be making forceful comments about the need to stay resolute in backing Ukraine, but Canadian officials will also be facing questions on this country’s record on defence spending.
Members of the alliance agreed to spend the equivalent of two per cent of their national gross domestic product on defence but Canada has long fallen short of the target.
Defence Minister Bill Blair told the Foreign Policy Security Forum in Washington Monday afternoon that Canada has come to the summit with the kind of detailed plan that allies have been asking for.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2024.
