Romney, Colleagues Urge Prime Minster Trudeau to Increase NATO Defense Spending

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observers Group, and a bipartisan group of colleagues in sending a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urging Canada to immediately develop a plan to increase its defense spending to meet the two percent of GDP spending threshold that was agreed to by all NATO Allies at the Vilnius Summit in 2023. Canada’s most recent projection showed it will not meet the two percent commitment, which was established as only a minimum baseline, this decade. Without immediate and meaningful action to increase defense spending, Canada will fail to meet its NATO obligations—putting at risk the collective security of NATO members.

“The 2023 Vilnius Summit agreement reiterated and expanded upon prior agreements of the two percent defense spending baseline, which Canada’s Defense Minister and Canada’s Head of Government agreed to in 2006 and 2014, respectively. […] As we approach the 2024 NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., we are concerned and profoundly disappointed that Canada’s most recent projection indicated that it will not reach its two percent commitment this decade,” the senators wrote.

“The United States’ commitment to NATO is unwavering. Later this year, when the United States hosts the 2024 NATO Summit to lay out priorities for the upcoming year, we will expect your government and every NATO member that has not met the two percent defense spending threshold to have a plan to reach this benchmark as soon as possible,” the senators continued.

Joining Romney, Shaheen, and Tillis on the letter are Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD), Jim Risch (R-ID), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chris Coons (D-DE), John Cornyn (R-TX), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Angus King (I-ME), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tim Scott (R-SC), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), and Ted Cruz (R-TX).

The full text of the letter can be found below.

Dear Prime Minister Trudeau,

As friends of Canada, we write to urge your government to uphold the commitment agreed to by all North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Allies at the 2014 Wales Summit and again at the 2023 Vilnius Summit to strengthen our collective security by increasing defense spending levels to two percent of each country’s gross domestic product (GDP). As a founding member of NATO, Canada is a valued Ally and has long contributed to essential NATO operations around the world. However, the transatlantic Alliance now faces one of the most severe threat landscapes in its history. As a consequence, we call on all NATO Allies, including Canada, to uphold their commitment to ensure a stronger, sustainable NATO by accelerating efforts to reach the two percent defense spending target set by the Alliance.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the greatest Alliance in history. Since its inception, Canada has been a leading Ally in propelling NATO to develop standards around democracy, economic resilience and human rights. These standards have encouraged NATO aspirant countries to align more closely with our shared values and expanded trade opportunities for economies across the North Atlantic while promoting peace and stability on the European continent. In addition, Canada has taken a leading role in support of NATO military operations. We particularly appreciate Canada’s leadership of NATO’s multinational battlegroup in Latvia, which maintains a strong deterrence presence on the Eastern Flank of the Alliance. As Vladimir Putin’s full-scale, unprovoked war against Ukraine continues into its third year, a strong NATO presence in Europe is needed to deter further Russian aggression.

To build on the success of the past 75 years and secure the transatlantic Alliance for the next generation, NATO requires continued investments from each member country. This includes meeting NATO’s guidance that all member countries should spend 20 percent of their defense spending on equipment to modernize capabilities, as well as meet and seek to exceed spending two percent of GDP on defense. At the 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius, all Allies agreed that two percent defense spending levels should be the floor – not the ceiling – of contributions to the Alliance. The 2023 Vilnius Summit agreement reiterated and expanded upon prior agreements of the two percent defense spending baseline, which Canada’s Defense Minister and Canada’s Head of Government agreed to in 2006 and 2014, respectively. By the end of 2024, 18 NATO countries will meet the Alliance’s goal to ensure NATO’s continued military readiness. This is a historic investment in our collective security, led by NATO Allies like Poland, a country that has already exceeded three percent of its GDP for defense spending.

As we approach the 2024 NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., we are concerned and profoundly disappointed that Canada’s most recent projection indicated that it will not reach its two percent commitment this decade. In 2029, Canada’s defense spending is estimated to rise to just 1.7 percent, five years after the agreed upon deadline of 2024 and still below the spending baseline. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is also in dire need of modernization, a process that can only move forward with direct cooperation from your government. Canada will fail to meet its obligations to the Alliance, to the detriment of all NATO Allies and the free world, without immediate and meaningful action to increase defense spending.

The United States’ commitment to NATO is unwavering. Later this year, when the United States hosts the 2024 NATO Summit to lay out priorities for the upcoming year, we will expect your government and every NATO member that has not met the two percent defense spending threshold to have a plan to reach this benchmark as soon as possible. We anticipate a robust partnership between the U.S., Canada and all Allies to achieve the benchmarks the Alliance has identified to enable us to defend democracy, preserve security and expand opportunity.

We appreciate your attention to this important matter and look forward to our continued close partnership as friends, Allies and neighbors.