Staff Reports
Canada, the land of moose and Mounties, is distinguishing itself in a new way these days: by trailing the pack in NATO defense spending. While allies around the globe are beefing up their military budgets in response to Russia’s latest aggression, Canada seems content to hit the snooze button.
NATO countries are supposed to allocate at least 2% of their GDP to defense, a number set in stone to ensure everyone can pull their weight. But out of the 32 countries in the alliance, only 23 are expected to meet that quota. The stragglers? Croatia, Portugal, Italy, Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia, and Spain. What’s the Canadian government’s timeline for hitting the target? Well, don’t hold your breath—maybe by the end of the decade, Defense Minister Bill Blair confessed.
Canada is the "biggest laggard" in the NATO alliance:https://t.co/Fkci4dnp2A
— GaryBowings (@GBowings) June 23, 2024
The projection for Canada in 2024 is a mild 1.37%, which essentially puts them in the kiddie pool while Russia and others dive into the deep end. Blair optimistically claimed that a boost to 1.75% might be feasible by 2029 if they manage to replace their rickety submarines. One can’t help but wonder if these promises are just the latest chapter in the novella of Trudeau’s futile attempts to appear robust on defense.
Analysts like Daniel Kochis have pointed out that Canada is probably the biggest slacker in NATO right now, even compared to its European counterparts who at least have the excuse of being smaller economies. Canada has no such excuse, given its economic heft and strategic importance, yet it continues to underperform under Trudeau’s leadership. It’s a bit like blaming geography for not showing up to work on time when your office is next door.
Bill Blair tried to wax poetic about Canada’s changing security landscape, but it’s hard to take him seriously when the numbers speak for themselves. Canada and Belgium are even failing to meet the requirement to spend 20% on equipment, weapons, and other capabilities. According to experts like Dalibor Rohac, this shortfall is a result of a long tradition of complacency. Belgium might get a pass because it’s far from Russia; Canada, not so much, given its Arctic proximity.
So while the U.S. and other committed NATO allies bolstering the front lines, Canada seems quite content to rely on others to pick up the slack. What was that about being good neighbors again?
