Trudeau Says Canada on ‘Clear Path’ to Reach NATO’s 2 Percent Spending Target

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is on a “clear path” to reaching NATO’s defence spending target of 2 percent of GDP by 2032 as the country focuses on “concrete” investments to increase its fighting capacity.
“We’re on a clear path to reach 2 percent in the coming years, because we know that the world is changing and Canada, along with our allies, needs to be ready for it,” Trudeau said on Nov. 25 during the NATO interparliamentary assembly in Montreal.
Trudeau said Canada will continue supporting Ukraine with military and financial aid to uphold the rules-based international order that protects all countries. “Russia’s illegal invasion is not just about redrawing lines in the map in their neighbourhood. It’s about reintroducing into the world, long after it had disappeared, the idea that ’might makes right’ once again,” he said.
The same day, Defence Minister Bill Blair spoke before the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, where he acknowledged that Canada needs to increase military spending. He said Canada will need help meeting the 2 percent target faster by speeding up the procurement process. Blair said he intends to ask the incoming U.S. administration for assistance finding “a smarter way, a quicker way to make the investments.”