WASHINGTON, DC — Canada will provide an additional $500 million in military aid to Ukraine as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets one-on-one with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit in Washington, DC
WASHINGTON, DC — Canada will provide an additional $500 million in military aid to Ukraine as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets one-on-one with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit in Washington, DC
A senior administration official said in an interview that Canada will also provide much of Ukraine’s training for fighter pilots.
Trudeau has been vocal in talks with NATO allies about the need to remain steadfast in their support as the war-torn country takes centre stage at the three-day summit.
However, Trudeau is also under pressure from American politicians who openly criticize Canada for failing to meet its defense spending.
NATO allies have agreed to spend at least the equivalent of two percent of their national gross domestic product on defense. Canada’s current spending is about 1.37 percent.
Trudeau tried to preempt the criticism during a speech on Tuesday, saying the Liberal government had made good on its promises to dramatically increase defence spending since taking power.
Since 2014, Canada’s defense budget has grown by more than 57 percent, with an estimated budget of $29.9 billion this year.
The only NATO countries that spend more in real dollars are the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Turkey.
It is expected that 23 of the 32 allies will reach the two percent target this year. Canada is the only country that has not yet presented a plan to reach that minimum.
Fen Hampson, a professor of international relations at Carleton University in Ottawa, said the plan should have been shared earlier, “so that our partners know we are serious about it.”
“We are clearly the target of American politicians and the narrative is that we are the weak northern link in NATO.”
In May, 23 US senators wrote a letter to Trudeau urging him to come to the summit with a clear plan.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell pointed to the failures of Canadian spending after meeting with Trudeau on Tuesday. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson was also critical during a speech at the Hudson Institute in Washington the same day.
“Talk about riding on the coattails of America,” Johnson said. “They have the safety and security of being on our border and they don’t have to worry about it. Talk about shameful.”
Defense Secretary Bill Blair indicated earlier this week in Washington that he would bring to the summit the kind of plan allies have been asking for.
The Canadian government has allayed concerns by announcing on Wednesday a phased replacement of its submarine fleet.
Blair said Canada will buy up to 12 conventionally powered submarines that can operate under ice, something the government pledged in its new defence policy in April.
The announcement did not include a cost estimate that would make it clear to allies or Canadians how much the project would contribute to closing the two percent gap.
The government official said more information would be shared Thursday about Canada’s plan to meet the goal.
In the morning, Trudeau met with new Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is not a NATO leader but does participate in the alliance’s Indo-Pacific working groups.
The Canadian official said submarines were discussed during the meetings.
The prime minister will later attend a dinner at the White House with other NATO leaders, hosted by US President Joe Biden.
Concerns about Biden’s health and the possibility of a second Donald Trump presidency have already cast a shadow over the summit.
Trudeau declined to comment Tuesday when a reporter asked him if he had concerns about the 81-year-old’s age or mental state.
But Polish President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday brushed aside questions about the US president, saying he had met Biden “and there is no doubt that everything is fine.”
“We don’t need to interfere in the US elections,” Duda said during the summit.
The US president is under international fire after his disastrous performance during the debate with Trump last month.
Biden delivered a clear and powerful speech Tuesday night at NATO’s 75th anniversary celebrations, a pivotal moment for the Democratic leader and for the stability of his party.
The president gave a brief statement, occasionally looking down as he referred to his remarks, as the summit’s demands continued Wednesday.
Biden’s team has indicated that the president is at his sharpest earlier in the day and is trying to avoid events after 8 p.m., when dinner with NATO leaders was scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2024.
— With files from Sarah Ritchie in Ottawa.
Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press
