Canada plans to reach NATO goals at an early stage and to hang less from US defense

Canada plans to reach NATO goals at an early stage and to hang less from US defense

Canada will meet NATO specifications for military spending by the beginning of next year and plan to diversify his defense spending from the United States, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday and emphasized that Washington no longer plays the dominant role on the world stage.

NATO goal five years earlier achieved

This announcement means that Canada is reached the NATO goal of 2 % of the gross domestic product five years earlier than originally planned.

aging of the military infrastructure

"Our military infrastructure and equipment are outdated, which affects our military operational readiness," said Carney. "Only one of our four submarines is seaworthy. Less than half of our naval flotted and land vehicles are ready for operation. In addition, we are too dependent on the United States."

donation to 1.45 % of GDP

According to NATO numbers, Canada has so far spent 1.45 % of GDP for his military budget, which is below the defined target of 2 %. Previously, Canada had announced that it would be on course until the end of the decade to reach the NATO goal.

priority: Safety of the Canadians

“Our goal is to protect the Canadians and not to satisfy NATO's accountants," emphasized Carney in a speech at the University of Toronto.

G7 summit and NATO meeting

Canada will be on 15-17. June US President Donald Trump and other leading heads of state for a summit of the NATO meeting in Europe. NATO allies are ready to increase their obligations far beyond the 2 %goal.

Carney has announced that Canada's procurement strategies diversify and the relationships with the EU strengthen. "We should no longer invest three quarters of our defense spending in the United States," said Carney. “We will invest in new submarines, planes, ships, armored vehicles and artillery as well as new radar systems, drones and sensors for monitoring the sea floor and the Arctic.”

collaboration with the EU

Canada has had discussions with the European Union to get into a joint initiative to reduce safety dependency from the USA, especially with regard to the acquisition of more defense equipment, including fighter jets. The Carney government checks the purchase of US-F-35 fight jets and examines alternative options.

The change in global balance of power

"We stood by side with the Americans during the Cold War and in the following decades when the United States played a dominant role on the world stage," said Carney in French, one of Canada's official languages. "Today this dominance is a thing of the past."

American hegemony question

he added that with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 the United States became a global hegemony. The strong influence of the United States has become almost irresistible and made it “our closest ally and dominant trading partner”.

Canada on the defensive

“Now the United States begins to monetize its hegemony: they demand fees for access to their markets and reduce their relative contributions to our collective security," said Carney.

reactions to Trump's demands

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strategic military spending