In a mostly praise-filled speech from U.S. President Barack Obama, one notable exception was his urging that Canada 鈥渃ontribute its full share鈥� to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
鈥淎s your ally and as your friend, let me say that we鈥檒l be more secure when every NATO member including Canada contributes its full share to our common security,鈥� the president told Parliament.
鈥淏ecause the Canadian Armed Forces are really good,鈥� he added. 鈥淚f I can borrow a phrase, the world needs more Canada. NATO needs more Canada. We need you. We need you.鈥�
Obama made the remarks after stating that 鈥渨hen nations violate international rules and norms, such as Russia鈥檚 aggression against Ukraine, the United States and Canada stand united, along with our allies, in defence of our collective security.鈥�
Canada currently spends less than one per cent of its GDP on defence, despite a commitment made by all NATO countries to spend at least two per cent of GDP.
Most NATO countries do not meet the two per cent target, but some do, including the U.S. which spends 3.5 per cent, France which spends 2.2 per cent, and the United Kingdom which spends two per cent, according to the
The prodding of Canada to boost its military contribution was only a small part of a speech around the broad theme that countries are better off when they work together on things like trade and security, rather than 鈥渂uilding walls.鈥�
Obama鈥檚 position on NATO is in stark contrast to Republican Donald Trump, who has repeatedly called NATO 鈥渙bsolete鈥� and a waste of money.
Democrat Hillary Clinton has called Trump鈥檚 suggestion dangerous. "Putin already hopes to divide Europe," Clinton said in March, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "If Mr. Trump gets his way, it will be like Christmas in the Kremlin,鈥� she added.
In a speech last week, former Progressive Conservative prime minister Brian Mulroney also made the case that Canada should once again spend two per cent of its GDP on defence -- as it last did when he was in charge -- in part due to a rising threat from Russia.
鈥淧resident Putin clearly wants to restore Russia鈥檚 great power status by forging, by force if necessary, a new Eurasian union dependent on Russia for its economy and security, adapting Lenin鈥檚 phrase of 'pushing the knife in,' until it hits NATO bone,鈥� he said.
鈥淗e鈥檚 sharpening that knife with a 40 per cent increase in military spending since 2013, far and above anything committed by the West,鈥� Mulroney added.
Mulroney said that NATO should be a top defence priority for Canada. 鈥淲hat we cannot do is talk about Canada 鈥渂eing back鈥� in the world without making tangible commitments that will anchor our aspirations,鈥� he said.
