Trump’s comments about NATO not helpful, defence minister says

OTTAWA — Donald Trump’s comments that, if elected president, the U.S. wouldn’t automatically come to the aid of allies are “not helpful,” Canada’s defence minister says.

The Republican nominee caused a stir this week when he said some NATO members aren’t spending enough on defence, and are instead relying on the U.S. to protect them. That would change if he’s elected, Trump told the New York Times.

“We’re talking about countries that are doing very well,” he said. “I would absolutely be prepared to tell those countries: ‘Congratulations, you will be defending yourself.’ ”

While Trump appeared to be directing his comments at European allies, Canada spends less than one per cent of its gross domestic product on defence. That is half the NATO target and puts Canada near the back of the pack among the alliance’s 28 members.

In an interview with The Canadian Press Thursday, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan defended Canada’s military contributions and NATO. He pointed to Canada’s recent promise to lead a NATO force in Latvia and its role in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant as proof the country is pulling its weight.

“We’re stepping up in a much bigger way,” Sajjan said. “When you put everything together, we have nothing to embarrassed about. In fact, we actually can be very proud of the fact of how much we’re doing.”

Article 5 of the NATO treaty enshrines the concept of collective defence, in which an attack on one member is an attack on all. The only time it was invoked was after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, which led to the war in Afghanistan.

Some Eastern European members have worried Article 5 will not be honoured if Russia takes action against them. That is partly why Canada and other allies are sending troops to the Baltics and Poland, to reassure those countries that the alliance stands with them.

Trump’s comments, however, have the potential to stoke fresh concerns about the alliance’s unity, particularly as it faces a new Cold War with Russia.

Sajjan said collective defence is central to the alliance, which itself has been instrumental in helping bring peace and stability to Europe and other parts of the world.

“So those comments that are made are not helpful,” Sajjan said. “But I understand there’s an election campaign and that’ll take its course.”