Canada and other NATO allies were met by a request from the Trump administration to massively hike defence spending at the military pact’s meeting of foreign affairs ministers Thursday in Brussels.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, who attended the meeting, declined to say whether she thought Canada could increase military expenditures to reach 5 per cent of gross domestic product, as Mr. Rubio requested. “I’m not into speculation,” she said in an interview.
Canada currently spends about 1.37 per cent of its annual economic output on defence and has pledged to reach 2 per cent by 2030. No NATO ally has so far committed to increasing 5 per cent, although Mr. Rubio said Thursday the United States plans to do so.
