NATO secretary-general expects Canada to give timeline to meet defence spending target

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he expects Canada to lay out when it will reach the alliance's target of spending two per cent of GDP on defence.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he expects Canada to lay out when it will reach the alliance's target of spending two per cent of GDP on defence.

In an exclusive Canadian interview airing on CTV News Channel's Power Play with Vassy Kapelos on Tuesday, Stoltenberg said Canada has yet to set a precise date to fulfill its spending commitment.

"But I expect Canada to deliver on the pledge to invest two per cent of GDP on defence, because this is a promise we all made," Stoltenberg said, pointing to Canada's geographic significance on the world stage as the country with the second longest coastline.

"Canada is a big economy, (and) a member of the G7 … It really matters what Canada does," he added, also citing Canada's announcements about increasing funding for Norad, plans to purchase F-35 fighter jets, and an increased presence in Latvia as moves in the right direction.

"All of this is good, all of this matters," Stoltenberg also said. "But of course, Canada should, as all other allies, deliver on the pledge to invest two per cent, because we need that in a more dangerous world."

Canada has long faced calls to spend at least two per cent of its GDP on defence, the target agreed upon by NATO member countries more than a decade ago.

Last summer, at a gathering of NATO members in Vilnius, Lithuania, for the alliance's annual meeting, Canada recommitted to reaching the two per cent target, and signed on to Stoltenberg's intention to have the number become the minimum requirement.