Estonian PM urges Canada to hit NATO's defence spending target

Estonia's prime minister is calling on all NATO countries, including Canada, to increase their defence spending to a minimum of 2 per cent of national GDP in response to Russia's war on Ukraine.

"The security situation in the world has completely changed after the 24th of February," Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told CBC News Network's Power & Politics, citing the day Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine.

"It is wise even for those countries that have much better neighbours than we do [to] still think about this," Kallas said to host Vassy Kapelos. "If you look at the long-haul missiles, they go pretty far."

WATCH: Estonian prime minister says defence spending must increase

Estonian prime minister calls on Canada to hit NATO defence spending target

3 years ago

Duration 8:28

Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas is calling on all NATO countries, including Canada, to increase their defence spending to a minimum of 2 per cent of national GDP: "The security situation in the world has completely changed after the 24th of February."

NATO allies, including Canada, agreed in 2014 to increase defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP by 2024.

Canada has never hit that target and currently spends only 1.39 per cent of GDP on defence, according to NATO figures. The Liberal government's defence spending forecast only sees Canada hitting 1.48 per cent by 2024-25.

Estonia — a small nation of 1.3 million people bordering Russia — currently spends 2.28 per cent of its GDP on defence and has consistently exceeded the two per cent target since 2014.

"I understand that politically that there could be disputes over defence spending. I mean, I would also like to spend more on education and research and development than on defence, but this is the reality that we have here," said Kallas.

While the Trudeau government has not committed to meeting NATO's target, Defence Minister Anita Anand said earlier this month that Canada will spend more on defence.

"Why? Because we see the threat environment as changing rapidly but also because continental defence is a priority for me, personally as minister, and for our government," Anand told CBC's Power & Politics.

"I personally am bringing forward aggressive options which would see [Canada] potentially exceeding the two per cent level, hitting the two per cent level, and below the two per cent level," she added.

While the government considers its options, the chance of getting a budget passed that hits NATO's target may be remote.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh — who struck a confidence-and-supply agreement with the Liberal government last week — said that while his party supports increasing defence spending, it opposes the two per cent target.

"I think it's an arbitrary number and we should not be hitting that," Singh said Sunday in an interview on Rosemary Barton Live. "But we do acknowledge that our armed forces need some investments. And I've long had the position that if we ask our armed forces to do something, they need to have the tools to do it."

Of the 30 NATO member states, only four countries currently spend less on defence as a share of GDP than Canada: Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain and Slovenia.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland revealed Tuesday that she will present her next budget in the House of Commons on April 7.

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3 years ago

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