A US Republican congressman calls Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a “threat” to the stability and success of NATO and says Canada’s defense spending and military contributions are not enough.
U.S. Rep. Mike Turner made the comments. in an op-ed in Newsweek suggest that “Trudeau, not (Donald) Trump, is a threat to the stability and success of NATO” due to the country’s long delay in a plan to meet the agreed goal of members spending two percent of their GDP in defense. .
Last summer, Defense Minister Bill Blair and Trudeau announced that Canada hoped to invest at least two per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defense by 2032, calling it a “credible, responsible and achievable target date.” .
Until then, Trudeau had not offered a concrete timeline for reaching the two per cent target, saying Canada would increase defense spending and continue contributing to the military alliance.
At the time, U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Cohen said the Biden administration was pleased to see Canada’s commitment to meeting the goal, calling it an “important positive step toward meeting our shared goals.” .
Turner said that as a founding member, Canada should “lead by example” to newer members, noting that Sweden, which just joined this year, already hopes to hit the 2 percent target this year.
Get daily national news
Get the day’s top news, political, economic and current affairs headlines delivered to your inbox once a day.
“Clearly, Canada is taking advantage not only of its NATO membership but also of its proximity to the United States,” wrote Turner, who serves as chairman of the US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee.
“Take your time Canada; “Russia can wait.”
The congressman criticized alliance leaders for allegedly being alarmed by former President Trump’s possible return to the Oval Office.
In February, Trudeau pledged to defend Canada’s “interests” but avoided criticizing Trump after the former president repeated his threat to turn his back on NATO members, like Canada, that failed to meet their spending targets. in defense.
At the time, Trump said he would “encourage” Russia to attack so-called “rogue” NATO nations.
Turner did not take note of these comments, instead writing that every US president has put NATO in a “stronger strategic position” than their predecessor, including Trump.
“While some allies may not appreciate the forceful approach, Trump rightly denounces those who do not share the burden of collective defense,” the Ohio congressman wrote.
“In fact, former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has even praised President Trump for his ‘clear message’ about the importance of all NATO members investing in their national defense.”
He went on to claim that Trump has strengthened NATO, while Trudeau has “undermined” it by falling short of spending 2 percent of GDP.
Turner also questioned Trudeau and Canada’s own efforts to support Ukraine, writing that Trump provided Javelin missiles to Ukraine before the invasion, while the Canadian government “provided tepid military assistance.”
Last month, Trudeau said he had been lobbying fellow NATO leaders to support lifting long-range weapons restrictions on Ukraine, saying the restrictions were hampering Ukraine’s ability to win the war.
The op-ed comes after Trump repeatedly denied during the US presidential debate in September whether he believes Ukraine should win the war against the Russian invasion, saying only that “I want this war to end.”
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
