Israel ambassador meets Canadian officials after what Carney calls ‘unacceptable' West Bank warning shots
Bill Carroll from The Morning Rush talks about Prime Minister Mark Carney demanding an investigation after Israel fired what it is calling 'warning shots'.
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CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
CTV National News: Canada to hit NATO defence spending target in 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada will hit the NATO defence spending target of 2 per cent this fiscal year. Mike Le Couteur on what that means.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Five things to know about Canada's plan to meet the NATO defence spending target
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Mark Carney is promising that Canada will quickly boost its defence spending to hit the NATO member target of two per cent of national GDP this year. Canada has long promised to meet the target but has never had a detailed plan to get there. The announcement comes as NATO allies prepare for talks on raising the spending target to five per cent at the annual summit this month. Here's what you need to know about the announcement. 1. What is the NATO spending target? All NATO allies, Canada included, committed to spending the equivalent of two per cent of their GDP on defence in 2006. In 2014, NATO leaders agreed formally that countries that were not meeting the target must move toward it within a decade. After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, allies agreed at the 2023 NATO summit to make two per cent the minimum spending target. Many European countries have rapidly scaled up their defence spending in response to Russia's war on Ukraine. As of this year, 22 of the 32 NATO member states are spending at least two per cent of their national GDP on defence. Canada is not among them. A leaked Pentagon document obtained by The Washington Post in 2023 quoted then-prime minister Justin Trudeau telling NATO officials that Canada would not meet the two per cent target. Under pressure from allies, the Trudeau government later promised to hit the two per cent benchmark by 2032. In January, then-defence minister Bill Blair told reporters he was trying to speed up that timeline to 2027. 2. Why is the target changing? At this year's NATO leaders' summit in The Hague, allies will discuss a proposal to boost the spending target to five per cent of GDP. That's expected to be broken down into two parts — 3.5 per cent for what NATO calls core defence spending and another 1.5 per cent for a broader category of defence and security-related spending. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told reporters last week there was 'broad support' among allies for the change and that he had total confidence they would agree to it at the summit, which is being held June 24-26. The change is seen as a response to U.S. President Donald Trump's demands for allies to pull more weight in NATO. Among NATO members, the U.S. spends the most on its military in dollar terms. In March, Trump suggested America might not defend its allies if they don't meet the target. 'If they don't pay, I'm not going to defend them,' he said. According to NATO's most recent figures, U.S. defence spending was estimated at 3.19 per cent of GDP in 2024, down from 3.68 per cent a decade ago. It's the only NATO ally whose defence spending has dropped since 2014. 3. How much is Canada spending on defence? According to the latest NATO projections, Canada was on track to spend 1.45 per cent of GDP on defence in 2024-25. NATO allies also have agreed that 20 per cent of their spending should go toward equipment. In 2024, Canada was on track to spend 17.8 per cent of its total on equipment, making it one of only three countries to miss both parts of the target. Carney's announcement on Monday amounts to another $9.3 billion in spending in this fiscal year, 2025-26. Senior government officials told reporters at a briefing Monday morning that the country's defence spending for the fiscal year was projected to be $53.4 billion. With the announcement of this new spending, that sum is expected to rise to $62.7 billion for 2025-26 — or two per cent of Canada's national GDP, which is estimated at just over $3.1 trillion this year. While most of that — $53.4 billion — is Department of National Defence spending, about $14 billion is going to other government departments, including $370 million for the Communications Security Establishment. 3. What is the money being spent on? A large amount of the spending announced on Monday — $2.63 billion — is meant to 'empower the military to recruit and retain the personnel needed to carry out its mandate,' said a Government of Canada press release. The government says that funding will help accelerate military recruitment and expand the civilian defence workforce. It includes a pay raise for members. The Canadian Armed Forces is short more than 13,000 personnel in its regular and reserve forces. In February, Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan said the Armed Forces was on track to meet its recruitment goal of enrolling 6,496 members this fiscal year. The military said it was aiming to reach its approved strength of 71,500 regular forces members and 30,000 reserve members by April 2029. Another $2.1 billion is set aside to diversify Canada's defence partnerships and help build the domestic defence industry. Carney has said Canada wants to join ReArm Europe, an 800 billion-euro plan to beef up the defence of EU countries. Government officials said Monday that $2.1 billion could help Canada enter joint procurements or multilateral initiatives with other countries. 5. What is happening with the Coast Guard? The government is planning to include $2.5 billion it spends on the Canadian Coast Guard in its NATO spending this year — about 60 per cent of the agency's total budget. The Coast Guard will remain part of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. It's responsible for ensuring the safety of people in Canadian waters, carrying out search-and-rescue operations and conducting research, and has a fleet of icebreakers. The Coast Guard also has a mandate to 'ensure Canada's sovereignty and security by establishing a strong federal presence in our waters,' according to the Government of Canada. Government officials said there is no plan to arm the Coast Guard or its members. They say its inclusion in Canada's overall defence and security strategy reflects its role in providing what they call maritime domain awareness. The intent, officials told reporters, is to improve inter-service communication, particularly in the Arctic region. The increased co-operation could involve sending military members on Coast Guard trips, for example. The government said it's boosting the Coast Guard budget by $100 million. — With files from Kyle Duggan and The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025.
CBC
4 hours ago
- CBC
Israeli forces halt Gaza-bound aid boat, detain Greta Thunberg and other activists
A Gaza-bound aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists arrived at an Israeli port Monday after Israeli forces stopped and detained them — enforcing a longstanding blockade of the Palestinian territory that has been tightened during the Israel-Hamas war. The boat, accompanied by Israel's navy, arrived in Ashdod in the evening, according to Israel's Foreign Ministry. It published a photo on social media of Thunberg after disembarking. The 12 activists were undergoing medical checks to ensure they are in good health, the ministry said. They were expected to be held at a detention facility in Ramle before being deported, according to Adalah, a legal rights group representing them. The activists had set out to protest Israel's ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which is among the deadliest and most destructive since the Second World War, and its restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid, both of which have put the territory of some two million Palestinians at risk of famine. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which had organized the voyage, said the activists were "kidnapped by Israeli forces" while trying to deliver desperately needed aid. "The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo — including baby formula, food and medical supplies — confiscated," it said in a statement. It said the vessel was seized in international waters about 200 kilometres from Gaza. Adalah asserted that Israel had "no legal authority" to take it over. Israel's Foreign Ministry cast the voyage as a public relations stunt, saying in a post on X that "the 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities' is safely making its way to the shores of Israel." It said the passengers would return to their home countries and the aid would be delivered to Gaza through established channels. It later circulated footage of what appeared to be Israeli military personnel handing out sandwiches and water to the activists, who were wearing orange life vests. 'Serious breach of international law' Thunberg, a climate campaigner, was among 12 activists aboard the Madleen, which set sail from Sicily a week ago. Along the way, it had stopped on Thursday to rescue four migrants who had jumped overboard to avoid being detained by the Libyan coast guard. "I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible," Thunberg said in a pre-recorded message released after the ship was halted. Adalah, the rights group, said in a statement that "the arrest of the unarmed activists, who operated in a civilian manner to provide humanitarian aid, amounts to a serious breach of international law." Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, was also among the volunteers on board. She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. She was among six French citizens aboard the boat. French President Emmanuel Macron called for consular protection and the repatriation of the French citizens. "Most of all, France calls for a ceasefire as quickly as possible and the lifting of the humanitarian blockade. This is a scandal, unacceptable, that is playing out in Gaza. What's been happening since early March is a disgrace, a disgrace," Macron said. Next week, Macron co-hosts a conference at the UN on a two-state solution and recently said France should move toward recognizing a Palestinian state. Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said the crew and passengers were aware of the risks, Swedish news agency TT reported. WATCH | Aid ship headed to Gaza attacked in May: Activist, aid ship hit by drones on way to Gaza, NGO says 1 month ago Duration 5:27 A ship carrying humanitarian aid and activists bound for Gaza was bombed by drones in international waters off Malta early on Friday, its organizers said, alleging that Israel was to blame. Stenergard said the ministry's assessment is that no one onboard is in danger and there is no need for consular support. Asked about Thunberg at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump said, "I think she has to go to anger management class. That's my primary recommendation for her." Trump described the climate activist as a "young, angry person," but added, "I don't know if it's real anger." Attempt to deliver aid failed last month Israeli officials said that the flotilla's cargo was "meager" with what amounted to less than a truckload of aid. After a two-and-a-half month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel started allowing some basic aid into Gaza last month. But humanitarian workers and experts have warned of famine unless the blockade is lifted and Israel ends its military offensive. An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza by sea failed after another of the group's vessels was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off Malta. The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the front section of the ship. Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, while critics say it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza's Palestinian population. Israel sealed Gaza off from all aid in the early days of the war ignited by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, but later relented under U.S. pressure. In early March, shortly before Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas, the country again blocked all imports, including food, fuel and medicine. Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages, more than half of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Hamas is still holding 55 hostages, more than half of them believed to be dead. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up most of the dead. It doesn't say whether those killed are civilians or combatants. The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90 per cent of the territory's population, leaving people there almost completely dependent on international aid. Efforts to broker another truce have been deadlocked for months. Hamas says it will only release the remaining hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal, while Israel has vowed to continue the war until all the captives are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and exiled.
