The Army chief of staff said Wednesday that Canada and many other allies worried about President Trump and U.S. global leadership have neglected their military forces for years.
Gen. Mark Milley on Wednesday told a Senate committee that allies need to improve military capabilities after he was questioned about the Canadian foreign minister’s comments on Tuesday.
Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told the country’s parliament that the U.S. is withdrawing from its global leadership role under the Trump administration and Canada cannot count on a “free ride on U.S. military power” any longer.
“With respect to Canada and many, many other countries, frankly they do need to increase their forces,” Milley told a Senate appropriations subcommittee. “Many of their armies — and not just armies but navies, air forces, marines, etc. — have atrophied over many, many years and frankly a lot of them do need to improve.”
Trump has shaken up long-held international relationships during his young administration by hedging on U.S. support of the NATO alliance and criticizing members for not spending enough on their own security. He also recently suggested South Korea, where about 25,000 American soldiers are stationed, should pay for a U.S. missile defense system deployed there.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Canada is among many allies that are now worried that Trump’s statements signal a major shift in the position of the United States, which has largely underwritten global security since the end of World War II.
“Last week, we heard the same from European leaders,” Durbin said. “They argued they have to fend for themselves more because of questions about the leadership of the United States when it comes to issues of national defense.”
The concerns have now extended to South Korea, a key ally since the 1950s, and it is set to review the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system to protect U.S. forces and that country’s population from North Korean missiles, Durbin said.
“Something I thought was agreed to over two years is now going to be actively debated in the assembly of South Korea to determine whether or not they will accept our expenditure of $923 million for a missile defense system,” he said.
