U.S. ambassador to NATO accuses Canada of 'lack of commitment' to defence spending pledge

Canada is the only NATO member without a plan or a timeline to reach the alliance's target of spending two per cent of GDP on defence, according to the U.S. ambassador to NATO.

Canada is the only NATO member without a plan or a timeline to reach the alliance’s target of spending two per cent of GDP on defence, according to the U.S. ambassador to NATO.

Julianne Smith told CTV's Question Period host Vassy Kapelos in an interview airing Sunday that she “absolutely” expects Canada to reach the spending goal, and that the lack of a plan or timeline to do so “lacks the commitment” allies want to see.

NATO members signed on more than a decade ago to each spend at least two per cent of their GDP on defence.

Last summer, at the alliance’s annual gathering, members increased that commitment to have the two per cent become a minimum requirement.

And earlier this month, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that of the alliance’s 31 members, 18 will reach or exceed the defence spending target this year. That’s up from 11 countries last year.

“Over the last 10 years, we've moved from three countries meeting that target to 18, with more to come, and those that aren't meeting it right now have a plan to get there, except for Canada,” Smith said.

“So we very much want our friends in Canada to keep moving towards the two per cent target,” she added. “But most importantly, we want them to lay out a plan to get there.”