Toronto
AP
–
Canada will meet NATO military spending guidelines by early next year and diversify defense spending from the US, Prime Minister Mark Carney argued Monday that Washington is no longer playing a major role on the global stage.
The announcement means Canada will achieve NATO spending targets of 2% of its gross domestic product five years ago than previously planned.
“Our military infrastructure and equipment are aging and hindering our military preparation,” Carney said. “Only one of our four submarines is seaworthy. Less than half of our maritime fleet and land vehicles are operating. Even broader, we are too dependent on the US.”
NATO figures show that Canada is estimated to spend 1.45% of its GDP on its military budget, below the 2% target set by NATO countries. Canada previously said it was on track to meet NATO’s targets by the end of the decade.
“Our goal is not to satisfy NATO accountants, but to protect Canadians,” Carney said in a speech at the University of Toronto.
Canada is about to host President Donald Trump and other leaders at the summit of seven major developed countries in Alberta, ahead of the NATO summit in Europe, from June 15-17. NATO allies are poised to increase their commitment well beyond the 2% target.
NATO Executive Director Mark Latte said last week that most NATO US allies were supporting demands that they were ready to invest 5% of their domestic gross product in defense needs and increase security spending even more.
“We meet 2%, and that’s what NATO’s target is today,” Carney said at a later press conference. “We need to spend more,” he said there is debate about the increase in spending at the NATO summit and its timeline.
Kearney says he intends to diversify Canada’s procurement and strengthen national ties with the EU.
“We should no longer send three-quarters of our defense capital expenditures to America,” Carney said in a speech at the University of Toronto. “We will invest in new submarines, aircraft, ships, armed vehicles, artillery, and new radars, drones and sensors to monitor the seabed and Arctic.”
Canada is taking part in EU drives to discuss with the European Union to break security reliance on the US, focusing on purchasing more defense equipment, including fighter jets in Europe. The Kearney government is considering purchasing a US F-35 fighter jet to see if there are other options.
“We were shouldering shoulders with the Americans during the Cold War and the decades that followed, as the United States played a major role on the world stage. Today, that advantage is a thing of the past,” Carney said in French, one of Canada’s official languages.
He said that the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 made the United States a world hegemon, and its strong gravitational gravitational force became practically attractive, making the United States “our closest allies and dominant trading partner.”
“The US is now beginning to monetize its hegemony, charging for access to the market and reducing the relative contribution to collective security,” Carney said.
Trump’s call to make Canada the 51st US province infuriated Canadians, and Carney won the prime minister’s job after promising to stand up to the increased aggression Trump presents.
The Prime Minister said, “The new imperialism is threatening.”
Kearney said the long-standing view that Canada’s geographical location protects Canadians has become increasingly old-fashioned. The government has added $9 billion of Canadians (US$6.6 billion) this year, with Carney saying the Canadian Coast Guard will now become part of the military.
European allies and Canada have already invested heavily in military forces, arms and ammunition since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
