Canada Accelerates Defense Spending to Hit NATO Target
Canada races to rearm and redefine its global role as Prime Minister Mark Carney fast-tracks billions in military spending to meet NATO’s 2% target.

In a landmark announcement that has sent ripples through diplomatic and defense circles, Prime Minister Mark Carney has vowed to propel Canada’s military spending to meet NATO’s 2 percent target—this year. The pledge, made in Toronto at Fort York Armory, marks a dramatic policy shift and accelerates a timeline once pegged for 2032 under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Carney’s message was direct and forceful: Canada will no longer lean on the United States for protection. This is a new era of sovereignty, readiness, and geopolitical assertion.
For decades, Canada has fallen short of the alliance’s spending benchmark. With defense budgets hovering around 1.37 percent of GDP, criticism from NATO allies—especially the U.S.—has been loud and persistent. President Trump, in particular, had been a vocal critic of Canada's lagging contribution. But Carney’s pivot signals more than just appeasement. It’s a wake-up call to the nation that global stability is shifting and that Canada must take control of its defense narrative.
Carney painted a stark picture of a world where U.S. military dominance is fading. “We stood shoulder to shoulder with the Americans throughout the Cold War and in the decades that followed,” he said, adding, “Today, that dominance is a thing of the past.” With those words, he made it clear: Canada is preparing to stand on its own feet, rearm its forces, and reassert its relevance on the world stage.
