Complacency and delay are luxuries we no longer have. Our commitment to hitting the new NATO 5% target must be turned into tangible military capabilities – and fast.
Canada has joined our NATO allies in committing to spend 3.5% of GDP on defence and 1.5% of GDP on defence-related investments by 2035, with NATO countries planning to review the target in 2029.
The Prime Minister’s Office released a statement following the agreement by NATO members:
“The world is increasingly dangerous and divided, with the rules-based international system under unprecedented pressure and global conflict becoming more frequent and volatile. To meet this moment, Canada and its Allies are building their defence capabilities to strengthen our collective security.
Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, announced that Canada and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Allies have agreed to a new Defence Investment Pledge of investing 5 per cent of annual GDP by 2035 to ensure our individual and collective security. The commitment aligns with Canada’s own strategic defence and security goals.
As part of this 5 per cent pledge, Canada will invest 3.5 per cent of GDP for core military capabilities, expanding on our recent investments. That means further investments in our Canadian Armed Forces, modernizing our military equipment and technology, building up Canada’s defence industries, and diversifying our defence partnerships. An additional 1.5 per cent of GDP will be dedicated to investments in critical defence and security-related expenditure, such as new airports, ports, telecommunication, emergency preparedness systems, and other dual-use investments which serve defence as well as civilian readiness. Importantly, the progress of this pledge will be reviewed in 2029 to ensure Allies’ expenditures align with the global security landscape.
At the Summit, Canada and its Allies reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and the leaders agreed on the imperative for a just and lasting peace. Canada’s contributions to Ukraine’s defence and its defence industries, including Canada’s $2 billion in military assistance announced last week at the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, are included in our NATO contributions, as the security of Ukraine is critical to our collective security.”
There are some notable takeaways from this.
First, the government is now openly admitting that the world is a more dangerous place, and linking that increased danger to the need for military spending. This is important in helping convince people that there is no going back to the complacent defence posture we adopted for decades.
Second, the linkage between defence spending and needed infrastructure upgrades will be beneficial in building public support for rearmament and preparedness. It’s no secret that Canada’s infrastructure needs substantial investment. When people see that a strong national defence and infrastructure are linked, they will be more likely to accept the need for larger defence outlays.
Third, the fact that we can put our support for Ukraine towards our NATO contributions is key to building ongoing public buy-in for aiding Ukraine, and is a common-sense move. After all, Russia is the enemy NATO is most likely to confront on the battlefield, and support for Ukraine weakens Russia and reduces the risk of a wider war. Ukraine is fighting the enemy NATO was created to defend against, so support for Ukraine should count towards our NATO commitment.
However, none of this matters unless the government delivers, and fast.
What is the military for?
It seems like an odd question, but for quite some time, our country has avoided considering why we need a military and why a strong domestic military industry is important. This is because our leaders long assumed that the era of war was over, and that everything could be dealt with through the right combination of words and treaties.
While I wish that were the case, the reality is that as long as authoritarian states like Russia seek to redraw borders through violence, free nations like Canada must possess military strength.
And this brings us back to the question above:
What is the military for?
Ultimately, the military exists to train Canadians to use force to kill other human beings in defence of our country and our allies. The defence industry exists to build weapons that make it easier for our military personnel to kill our enemies, and make it more difficult for our enemies to kill our military personnel.
It’s important to state this in clear terms. After all, the Ukrainian People have no illusions about why a military is needed, as they know the alternative is to be left helpless against Russian torture and mass murder.
Recognizing why we need a military does not mean we want to use force against others. The fact that we have to train people to kill and build weapons to kill is unfortunate, and it would be nice if human nature didn’t require this. But it does. Sometimes, force is the only thing that can stop force.
And this understanding is something that must govern our approach to the NATO target. The target should not be seen as a goal to reach in a grudging or sneaky manner, but rather as an imperative to turn the Canadian Armed Forces into a powerful organization that can defend Canadian sovereignty and provide support to our allies.
This requires real capabilities.
Turning money and talk into weapons and deterrence
When we look at the past half-year, there has been a remarkable shift in Canada’s military investment plan.
At the start of 2025, then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to hit the 2% NATO target by 2032 – a laughably long timetable given that threats are escalating now.
His successor, Prime Minister Mark Carney, talked about speeding up the timetable during the election, saying it would be reached by 2030 at the latest. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre pledged to hit the target by 2030 as well.
Not long ago, Carney promised to hit the target this fiscal year, five years ahead of his original pledge, and seven years ahead of the Trudeau-era pledge.
And now, Canada has agreed to our largest military expansion since the Second World War.
But now, the time for talk is over.
The promises and commitments have been made.
The statements have been issued.
Now it’s about delivery.
Canadians will need to see real action, including factories being built, infrastructure being updated, jobs being created, recruitment numbers rising, and actual weapons being built and procured, to see the benefits of this proposed military expansion.
It must be tangible.
Canada has the potential to be a military powerhouse. With our relatively strong per capita GDP, growing tech sector, well-educated population, ambitious entrepreneurs in the space industry, quantum computing, aerospace, and more, along with our abundance of natural resources, nothing is stopping us from becoming one of the world’s most well-defended countries, a country able to deter our enemies and be a much more valuable partner to our allies.
This is the moment that will decide whether we live up to that potential. And given the threats we face, we have no choice but to succeed.
Spencer Fernando
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