
Carney, NATO allies to debate new defence spending target today
THE HAGUE — NATO leaders are expected to decide today whether to more than double the alliance’s defence spending target.
Prime Minister Mark Carney is among the leaders around the table at the annual leaders’ summit in The Hague, where a proposal is being discussed to increase the target to five per cent of annual GDP, up from the current two per cent.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s proposal would break that into two parts. The first 3.5 per cent would be for core defence needs including jets and weapons, and the remaining 1.5 per cent on defence-adjacent investments including infrastructure and cybersecurity.
Carney told CNN International on Tuesday that Canada will reach the target in part by developing deposits of critical minerals and that some of the work will be done in partnership with the European Union, EU member states, the U.K. and other allies.