GOP Senator criticizes Canada’s NATO commitment, labels Trudeau a military ‘free-rider’.
A Republican Senator Calls Out Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Over NATO Contribution
During an interview on “The Cats Roundtable” talk show, Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) criticized Canada’s contribution to NATO. He stated that Canada is far from meeting the minimum goal of countries spending 2% of GDP on defense, and claimed that Trudeau had been overheard saying Canada won’t ever reach that mark.
Canada: A Military Free-Rider in NATO?
Sullivan referred to a Wall Street Journal op-ed that labeled Canada as a “military free-rider in NATO.” The article explained Canada’s failure to commit the minimum required by NATO and suggested that Trudeau deserved a spot at the “junior table” during the recent NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Canada ranks sixth from the bottom among 31 countries in defense spending as a share of GDP. Additionally, the country ranks seventh lowest in spending on military equipment.
Sullivan, who attended the NATO Summit, claimed that he repeatedly heard from other attendees that Canada was actively trying to “dodge” its 2% commitment. He also alleged that Trudeau had been overheard saying he’s never going to hit the goal.
Trudeau, however, defended Canada’s contribution to NATO and stated that the country would “step up” its efforts.
Meeting the 2% Goal: A Challenge for NATO Members
Nearly a decade ago, NATO members agreed to increase defense spending to a goal of 2% of their GDP by 2024. Currently, only 11 countries meet that target, including the United States, Britain, Poland, Greece, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Romania, Hungary, Latvia, and Slovakia.
Canada is one of six countries that spends less than 1.4% of its GDP on NATO defense, along with Slovenia, Turkey, Spain, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
At the recent NATO Summit, member nations issued a statement committing to invest at least 2% of their GDP annually on defense. They also acknowledged that in some cases, spending beyond 2% is necessary to address existing shortfalls and meet other requirements.
Former President Donald Trump had previously criticized NATO countries for failing to meet the 2% target and urged them to contribute more. His efforts may have played a role in the increase of non-U.S. NATO allies’ defense spending by approximately $50 billion from 2016 to 2020, according to the Heritage Foundation.
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