Prime Minister Mark Carney says the confirmation by NATO that Canada has hit its target of spending two per cent of its GDP on national defence is “very encouraging.”
For the first time since the end of the Cold War, Canada is spending roughly two per cent of its GDP on national defence — a key NATO alliance commitment Ottawa previously failed to meet.
NATO accounting estimates released Thursday show Carney’s government met the key spending benchmark for 2025 by shelling out just over $63 billion.
“That’s the largest year-on-year increase in defence investment in generations,” he said after touring a navy vessel in Halifax.
Defence Minister David McGuinty said this announcement marks “the beginning of a new era for Canadian defence.”
“Canada needs to act with strength, purpose and urgency. We need to be ready, ready to defend. Ready to lead and ready to protect what matters most,” he said.
At the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague, members “made a commitment to investing five per cent of GDP annually on core defence requirements and defence- and security-related spending by 2035.”
NATO states that allies “will allocate at least 3.5 per cent of GDP annually based on the agreed definition of NATO defence expenditure by 2035 to resource core defence requirements and to meet the NATO Capability Targets.”
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“When you look at the two per cent that we’re spending now, it’s core defence, and that needs to go, and this is a big move,” Carney said. “Our economy is obviously going to be bigger at that point. But it needs to go to 3.5 per cent by 2035. So, in 10 years, the other 1.5 per cent is spending on defence related.”
Carney noted that recruitment for the Canadian Forces is up by 13 per cent, which he says is a “very clear message.”
“In the areas related to defense, which is very broad, there’s going to be a very regular, deliberate investment year in and year out that is going to make this country stronger and make the economy stronger,” he said. “So, there’s a lot of opportunity that’s coming from this, and a government that’s dedicated to make sure we realize all the benefits of that.”
“The very nature of warfare is changing rapidly,” he added. “It’s driven by the proliferation of drones, autonomous systems, weapons in orbit. The world has changed, and we know that Canada must change with it.”
The issue is not a new one. But the situation really started to change when Canada fell under sustained pressure from U.S. political figures to boost defence spending.
U.S. President Donald Trump also has repeatedly warned NATO countries not to expect the U.S. to come to their aid if they don’t pay their share on defence.
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NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said every alliance member has met the spending target for the first time — all because of Trump’s rhetoric about free riders in the alliance.
“I don’t believe that without the present American administration the whole of NATO would have been meeting the two per cent at the end of 2025,” Rutte told reporters at a press conference in Brussels Thursday.
“Big economies like Spain and Italy and Belgium and Canada were far from the two per cent.”
Rutte said that for too long, Europe and Canada were “over-reliant on U.S. military might.”
Carney campaigned during the Liberal leadership race on setting an earlier deadline for meeting the NATO target — 2030, two years earlier than the target date set by Justin Trudeau’s government.
Carney abruptly announced last summer his government would meet it immediately, moving up the schedule by years.
Conservative defence critic James Bezan said that “doesn’t mean that Canada is any stronger.”
“We know that through creative accounting that government spending in national defence has increased by over $10 billion. That hasn’t actually resulted in increased capabilities for the Canadian Armed Forces. It has not actually increased our own security or made us safer here at home,” he said.
“We want to just remind everyone that over $10 billion that the prime minister is bragging about today comes from other government departments.”
Bezan also added that today’s announcement “just confirms that Canada has underinvested in defence.”
“Often, we say that we must not be dependent on the United States. But at the same time, it is the American president who forced Canada to move forward and move faster. It’s not very good for our credibility.”
My favourite thing to eat is Carneys load from Roy’s backside….mmm
Me and my bestie jv love Carney so much he can do nothing wrong .
Katrina Maxwell …. my comment was being sarcastic. I can see that was lost on you. Trudeau commented in the past that there was no business case for an Energy East pipeline. He wouldn’t know what a business case was if one fell out of the sky and hit him.
Carney’s approval rating is still very high and is practically a shoe in for winning the next federal election in Canada while PP went of the Joe Rogan Podcast… and ummm… That’s pretty much it
In reply to Bezan, the UPC government did no better. This is generations in the making. I have always been conservative, but will “cross the floor” for Carney’s leadership.
And when Trump finally croaks the world will cheer!
I didn’t like Trump much because of his orange hair and bozo antics. But this article just proves that when Trump talks, the World listens!
Looks like Trump tricked Carney into spending on defense, just like he tricked him into securing the border.
“If you want peace, prepare for war”
Si vis pacem, para bellum
All thid money on weapons, hopefully never used. Maybe necessary in today’s
World. But what a waste!
Sean Young
March 26, 2026 at 12:57 pm
Well said – couldn’t agree more.
Hiring more bureaucrats that do nothing doesn’t increase defense for Canada. It just wastes more taxpayers money. Liberals endless money laundering to enrich the liberal useless elites and propaganda treasonous media has destroyed the economy and society. Great job elbows up no minds.
Mortage crisis, fuel prices, food affordability, rampant homelessness, drug issues, disarming the public, the militarization of police forces, new weapons for the CAF, recruiting foreign soldiers, and increase in military spending.
Put it together Canada, the enemy the government is preparing to fight is YOU.
Lloyd Ryan you are talking rubbish. The head of NATO is correct to get countries to spend more on defense. What you said sounds like don’t spend on defense and that means we are all beholden for the United States to defend us. That is insane. Maybe you want China or Russia to invade or have Iran shoot missiles at countries.
If Canada got invaded , we would be conquered quickly. They take our guns away and thus makes the country weak. Look at the citizens in Iran , they have no arms so they are under the boot of the evil regime.
I feel that we need to prepare for the worst when it comes to our friends to the south: the days of decent, level, and common interactions seem to be going to the wayside more and more….true colours perhaps….
NATO needs to go. It no longer serves the purpose it was Intended for. We should use that 2 % of GDP on our own military.
Rutte, Trump’s pet, needs to go. Imagine thinking that putting our country into the debt spiral that the US is on is a good thing. Imagine thinking that the US is doing good by invading foreign countries, and killing or kidnapping their leaders is a good thing.
NATO is supposed to be a group of countries, bordering the Atlantic that aims to keep the Atlantic safe. Trump is hijacking and murdering people on the Atlantic… Why would any sane person think that is good?
The only country we need protection from at the moment is Trump’s US. How would they come to our defence, if Trump tries to annex us, or Greenland, or Cuba? – they are the ones we need to defend against.
“In 2023, a Pentagon document leaked to the Washington Post revealed Trudeau had told U.S. officials Canada would “never” meet the two per cent commitment.” Trudeau must have told them there was no business case for him to do it.
They did as Orange man told them. Elbows up life just keeps getting better and better under the libs
Wow Canada finally met our target after decades of freeloading.
Clap… Clap… Clap…
S*ck harder Paul.
Great to hear! Well done, PM Carney on both the 2% promise met and the upscale to 5%!
Just move the Coast Guard from the Fisheries Department to Defence and suddenly, without spending a dime, we are at 2%. Perfect Liberal move, do nothing, don’t make us safer or better off and claim a huge victory
They must have included all the monies sent to Ukraine and Hamas…..
Well done Canada. Respect.
NATO is basically finished. American weapons basically don’t work. Since the USA will be our enemy in future wanting our resources what is Carney spending money on – trying to be a “big shot” with European elites?