LONDON — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau touted the pursuit of gender equality in the military as an alternative way of fulfilling NATO defense spending obligations.
“We’re engaged in substantive ways but also ways that reflect our leadership,” Trudeau said Tuesday at the NATO Engages town hall that prefaced the meeting of ally chiefs. “Three of our top NATO leaders that are Canadians are actually women, incredibly qualified women, both in Rome, in the maritime fleet, and leading in Iraq. This is — these are the kinds of things that Canada does by stepping up.”
Trudeau offered the explanation in response to a question about how Canada has been “falling way behind” on the 2014 pledge that the allies would each spend 2% of their GDP on defense capabilities.
The spending issue has been a controversy within the alliance, but President Trump was gratified at the London assembly by the reported increases in defense spending by the other allies.
“Slightly delinquent, I’d say — Canada. But they’ll be OK,” Trump said Tuesday afternoon before huddling in private with Trudeau. “I have confidence. Just slightly delinquent. But, no, some are major delinquent. Some are — some are way below 1%, and that’s unacceptable.”
NATO officials, eager to avoid a dispiriting argument with the U.S. president at a meeting marking the 70th anniversary of the alliance, have showcased the defense spending increases in the days leading up to the event.
“President Trump is right about the importance of European Allies and Canada spending more,” Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the civilian chief of the alliance, told reporters last week. “But European Allies and Canada should not invest in defense to please President Trump. They should invest in defense because we are faced with new threats and new challenges.”
Trudeau emphasized that his government has increased defense spending after his predecessor cut the military budget, but refused to respond directly when asked when Canada will meet its 2% NATO obligation.
“Yes, we’re going to continually invest more, but we’re going to do it in a way that is right for Canada and right for the alliance,” Trudeau said. “And that is what we will keep saying. And that’s what we’ll keep doing.”
