U.S. Urges Canada to Reach Military Spending Target ‘As Rapidly as Humanly Possible,’ Says Biden Adviser

U.S. President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, urged Canada and other nations lagging in military spending to reach the NATO target of two percent of GDP “as rapidly as humanly possible.” Speaking at the Liberal cabinet retreat in Halifax, Sullivan acknowledged Canada’s recent commitment to achieve this target within eight years but emphasized the Biden administration’s desire for faster progress.

Sullivan noted that under Biden’s leadership, the number of NATO countries meeting or exceeding the two percent goal has risen from nine to 23, leaving nine countries, including Canada, still below the target. The two percent benchmark, set during the 2014 NATO summit in Wales, aims to enhance the alliance’s military readiness, particularly in light of Russia’s actions in Crimea and instability in the Middle East.

While Sullivan praised Canada’s “historic” pledge to increase military spending, he reiterated the U.S. preference for a quicker achievement of the target. “For every country, we will always be in favor of getting to two percent as rapidly as humanly possible,” he said.

This marks the first public comment from a senior U.S. official on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent commitment to meet the two percent GDP target, a goal announced following last month’s NATO summit in Washington, D.C., albeit without a detailed plan. The Canadian military has suggested that investments in new submarines and upgrades to its fleet of vehicles could help meet the target, though specifics remain unclear.

While Canada aims to reach the two percent goal by the next decade, some NATO allies are already considering increasing the target to 2.5 percent to better address the growing security challenges.

Sullivan made an unexpected visit to Halifax to meet with Trudeau and his cabinet before heading to China for discussions with senior Chinese officials amid strained U.S.-China relations. When asked about the possibility of Canada imposing tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, as the U.S. has done, Sullivan expressed a preference for coordinated action but left the decision to Canadian authorities.

Regarding the tense situation in the Middle East, Sullivan indicated that his visit was not about making specific requests of Canada but rather about maintaining alignment with U.S. allies.

Historically, Canada has lagged behind most NATO allies in defense spending. Under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Canada’s defense spending was below one percent of GDP. Although Trudeau’s government has made some progress, past Liberal defense ministers have been non-committal about reaching the two percent target.

At the recent NATO summit, Trudeau committed to achieving the two percent target by 2032, a promise that will require significant federal investment. In response to U.S. criticism of Canada’s military spending, Trudeau defended Canada’s contributions to NATO, suggesting that the country “punches above its weight” in ways not always captured by spending metrics.