Gauging Canada’s NATO efforts

Trudeau all but shrugged off Donald Trump’s push to squeeze alliance members for more money

BERLIN — Canada’s indifference to the ever-present push for more NATO spending was laid bare Friday in Germany as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau all but shrugged off Donald Trump’s push to squeeze alliance members for more money.

Standing alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country has already promised significant increases to its own NATO contributions, Trudeau suggested that when it comes to demonstrating Canada’s commitment, money isn’t everything.

He acknowledged the spending target agreed to in 2014 by the members of the 28-country transatlantic alliance — two per cent of GDP annually — but described Canada and Germany as principal NATO actors who do much of the “heavy lifting.”

“There are many ways of evaluating one’s contribution to NATO,” Trudeau said.

Germany and Canada have “always been among the strongest actors in NATO,” he said, citing Canada’s leadership of a multinational NATO mission in Latvia aimed at strengthening its eastern flank against Russia.

He also said Canada is in the midst of “significant procurement projects” — fighter jets and shipbuilding, specifically — and working ensure the alliance is being as effective as possible.

Merkel said Germany answered the 2014 call by increasing its defence budget eight per cent over last year. Trump has called NATO obsolete, while U.S. Defence Secretary James Mattis delivered an ultimatum this week, saying the U.S. expects its allies to start spending more on defence or else it will “moderate its commitment.”

Mattis also called on NATO to put a plan in place this year that lays out a timetable for governments to reach the two-per-cent target.