Canada says it wants to join major European defence plan
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he wants Canada to join a major European plan to bolster defences by 1 July.Speaking to CBC on Tuesday, Carney said he hoped his country would sign on to ReArm Europe - a plan to dramatically increase defence spending on the continent to in the next five years - in a bid to reduce reliance on the US."Seventy-five cents of every (Canadian) dollar of capital spending for defence goes to the United States. That's not smart," Carney told the public broadcaster.His comments come amid tension with the US after takeover threats by President Donald Trump - though Carney has previously said Canada is open to joining a missile defence project proposed by Trump.
A day after Carney's remarks, Canada's defence minister told a military trade show that his country wanted to quickly boost defence capacity in the face of growing global threats."The global security environment is today volatile and uncertain," said defence minister David McGuinty on Wednesday, citing Russia's war in Ukraine, as well as a more assertive China.McGuinty said there would be a future focus on the Arctic, where competing nations were challenging Canada's sovereignty. Defence also featured on Tuesday in the Speech from the Throne - an event that opened the new parliament and outlined the sitting government's agenda.The address was read in person by King Charles III, Canada's monarch, as part of a royal visit that was designed to highlight Canada's identity and sovereignty. The speech - which was written by both the King with his advisers and the Canadian government - contained commitments to "rebuilding, rearming, and reinvesting" in Canada's military.It also outlined the government's goal of strengthening defence relationships with European allies, and made mention of joining the ReArm Europe plan.
Canada 'strong and free' and other takeaways from King's throne speechKing's Canadian speech doesn't mention you-know-who
The remarks by Canadian officials come after Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said he expected members of his Western defence alliance - including Canada - to grow their annual defence spending to a level equivalent to 5% of each nation's GDP. The Nato target was previously 2% of GDP, but Rutte said members must prepare to defend themselves from increasingly powerful adversaries like Russia and China."Russia has teamed up with China, North Korea and Iran," Rutte told a Nato forum in the US on Monday. "They are expanding their militaries and their capabilities. They are preparing for long-term confrontation."The plan to increase Nato's spending target still has to be approved by member-country leaders, who are set to meet in the Netherlands in late June.Canada has long faced pressure for failing to meet Nato targets, and was accused last year by US House Speaker Mike Johnson of "riding on America's coattails".Canadian business leaders have also called on their government to majorly boost spending in the defence industry, touting this as a way to boost the economy. In Wednesday's remarks, McGuinty told defence industry representatives that Carney's government would prioritise procuring military technology and equipment from Canadian companies.Last week, Carney said that "high-level" talks were also taking place with the US about joining Trump's Golden Dome missile defence system. The King's throne speech noted that Canada wanted to continue talks with the US on security on trade.The US president posted on his Truth Social network later on Tuesday evening that the Golden Dome project would cost Canada US$61bn "if they remain a separate, but unequal, Nation." "But will cost ZERO DOLLARS if they become our cherished 51st State," he added, repeating his often-repeated view that Canada should be absorbed by the US. "They are considering the offer!" he claimed.In response, Carney's office said in a statement that the prime minister "has been clear at every opportunity, including in his conversations with President Trump, that Canada is an independent, sovereign nation, and it will remain one".
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Sir Keir Starmer said that all Nato countries needed to 'step up' to boost defence spending in the current geopolitical environment. He said that defence spending would reach 2.5 per cent by 2027-28, but denied it was 'wishful thinking' to hit 3 per cent by next parliament. 'Yes, that 3 per cent [is the target]. But I am not going to make a commitment to the exact date until we can make good on that commitment,' he told the BBC. Sir Keir Starmer said the defence strategic review was needed because the 'world has changed', especially since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 'We have to recognise the world has changed and if the world has changed we have to be ready,' he told the BBC. If you want to deter conflict, then you have to prepare for conflict.' The prime minister played down the prospect of a future nuclear warfare, but said nuclear deterrence had been an effective tool since the end of the Second World War. 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You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Britain will build up to a dozen nuclear-powered attack submarines, Sir Keir Starmer is expected to announce as the government unveils its strategic defence review on Monday. The long-awaited review will set out the UK's defence plan for the next ten years. The boats will replace the UK's seven Astute class submarines, which are armed with conventional weapons, and will be in operation from the late 2030s, joining the four Trident submarines that carry the nation's at-sea nuclear deterrent.
