Carney Defends NATO Record as Trump Looms, Despite Canada's 35-Year Spending Gap

Prime Minister Mark Carney has positioned himself as a defender of the NATO alliance. This comes amid renewed criticism from former U.S. President Donald Trump about members who do not spend enough on defense. Carney stated that Canada must meet its commitments to the military pact. However, Canada has consistently failed to meet a key NATO spending target for decades. The benchmark requires members to spend 2% of their national economic output on defense. Canada has not met this goal since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989—a period of 35 years. Trump has recently suggested he would not protect NATO countries that are "delinquent" on their spending. This has raised fresh concerns about the alliance's future if he wins the next U.S. election. Carney's comments are seen as an effort to reassure allies. He emphasized Canada's role in current NATO missions. Yet, the long-standing spending shortfall remains a central point of contention.