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.
In an exclusive Canadian interview airing on Â鶹ӰÊÓ 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.
In 2024, the number of NATO members expected to reach the two per cent goal rose to 18 from 11, but Canada is not among them. There are currently 31 members of NATO.
When asked by Kapelos whether articulating a date by which Canada expects to meet the goal matters, Stoltenberg said it does.
"We expect 18 allies to spend two per cent of GDP on defence in 2024," he said. "But then we expect that those who are not yet at two per cent should have plans in place to be there as soon as possible."
Last week — also in an interview on Â鶹ӰÊÓ Channel's Power Play — Defence Minister Bill Blair told Kapelos Canada is on a "positive, upward trajectory," but would not say whether the federal government has a deadline in mind to reach the target.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported last April that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau privately told NATO allies Canada will never meet the spending promise.
At a press conference in B.C. on Tuesday, Trudeau responded to Stoltenberg's comments about laying out a target date, saying Canada needs to "continue to step up, and we have as a government."
"We will continue to be there to step up with our NATO partners, we will be there to continue to make sure that the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces have the equipment they need, and that our allies can count on for us to continue to be there."
But when pressed on whether he has a date in mind, Trudeau wouldn't specify, saying only that the federal government will "continue to put forward our budgets and our proposals at the appropriate time."
Stoltenberg in his interview also discussed the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Russian President Vladimir Putin's fiercest critic, who died in prison last week.
The 47-year-old was serving a 19-year sentence on charges of extremism.
Many world leaders are blaming Putin for Navalny's death, but Stoltenberg would not specifically say whether he holds the Russian president responsible.
"He was in custody of the Russian authorities, and therefore they have the responsibility for his well-being, and therefore they're also responsible for everything that has happened with him," he said. "And it just shows the oppressive nature of the Putin regime and how they never accept anyone standing up against Putin."
"The best way to support the memory and honour the memory of Navalny is to support Ukraine," Stoltenberg also said.
The secretary-general also spoke about the war in Ukraine, with the second anniversary of Russia's invasion coming up this weekend.
With files from CTV's Question Period Senior Producer Stephanie Ha
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Conservatives call on Elon Musk to step in after Liberals provide loan to Ottawa-based satellite operator
A $2.14-billion federal loan for an Ottawa-based satellite operator has Canadian politicians arguing about whether American billionaire Elon Musk poses a national security risk.
Sunken superyacht believed to contain watertight safes with sensitive intelligence data
Specialist divers surveying the wreckage of the US$40 million superyacht that sank off Sicily in August, killing seven people including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, have asked for heightened security to guard the vessel, over concerns that sensitive data locked in its safes may interest foreign governments, multiple sources told CNN.
Myths busted and lessons learned: John Vennavally-Rao on his surgery to reverse his ostomy
Twenty-seven year Â鶹ӰÊÓ reporter and anchor John Vennavally-Rao shares his story of what it was like to have an ostomy bag as part of his health-care battle. 'I’m grateful for what it did to extend my life,' he writes in a personal column for CTVNews.ca.
The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.
A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.
Heavy metal exposure could increase cardiovascular disease risk, study finds
A new study is adding to emerging research showing that exposure to metals such as cadmium, uranium and copper may also be associated with the leading cause of death worldwide, cardiovascular disease.
Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.
Hezbollah targets base near Haifa after Israeli strike in Beirut killed 37, including top commander
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah announced that it fired a barrage of missiles at a military base deep inside Israel early Sunday following an Israeli airstrike more than a day earlier that killed at least 37 people, including one of the militant group’s senior leaders as well as women and children.
A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.
Local Spotlight
Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.
Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.
An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.
They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.
A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.
Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.
The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.
It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.