Canada is wise to build stronger relationships with reliable long-term defence partners.
On Twitter, U.S. Undersecretary of Defence Elbridge Colby announced that the U.S. is pausing the Permanent Joint Board on Defence:
The Permanent Joint Board on Defence is an example of the kind of cooperation that helped build up trust between the U.S. and its allies. It was established in 1940 and includes Canadian and American civilian and military representatives to help facilitate Canada-US defence cooperation through policy consultation.
Colby’s inclusion of a link to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Davos speech is notable, given that the speech was widely seen as a clarifying moment that acknowledged that a more transactional United States would necessitate closer cooperation between ‘middle powers.’
Colby is an advocate for the idea of the U.S. pivoting to Asia, reducing its footprint in Europe, and cutting off aid to Ukraine to ostensibly go all in on confronting China. Instead, the Trump Administration has focused more on the Middle East, expending large amounts of munitions and interceptors in the conflict against Iran, and even moving air defence assets from Asia to the Middle East. At the same time, the U.S. has lost credibility among many of its allies in Europe and is less trusted than it has been in decades.
Canada has hit the 2% NATO target
After years of underspending on defence under both Liberal and Conservative Governments, Canada hit the 2% NATO target this year, six years ahead of the timeline previously set by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. NATO made the announcement in March, marking the first time Canada has hit the target since 1990.
Canada has also committed to the new 5% target (3.5% of GDP on defence, 1.5% on ‘defence-related infrastructure ‘). And big-ticket purchases are upcoming, including new fighter jets and submarines. Thus, it’s odd timing for the U.S. to be focusing on Canada, though U.S. struggles in Iran could have the Trump Administration looking for a new target to engage in rhetorical conflict to shift attention away from the Middle East.
Dealing with a bad-faith negotiator
Trump’s negotiating style – and thus the negotiating style of the U.S. under his leadership – is rarely to offer something of benefit to the other side in exchange for something the U.S. wants. Instead, the general move is to wreck the status quo and then offer to restore a worse version of the status quo in return for a concession. It’s about extraction and dominance, rather than trade of value for value.
This is why Canada must continue to deepen defence ties with Europe. While we will always have some defence ties with the U.S. due to geography, historical connections, some shared interests, and the likelihood (though not a guarantee) that the next U.S. Administration will be less hostile, reducing our dependence on U.S. military equipment is a wise move. Many European countries find themselves in a similar position to Canada, with latent economic potential, a well-educated population, a high-level of technological advancement, and a defence sector that – while small – could be formidable if scaled up. Working together with fellow democracies in Europe – and democracies in the East, including Japan, India, and South Korea, Canada can build a broader base of partnerships and reap the benefits of mutual technological and defence-industrial cooperation.
The more the U.S. acts in a vindictive and inconsistent manner, the more we can see the benefit of Canada going in the other direction by acting in a more respectful, consistent, and open manner with other nations that share many of Canada’s core principles. This ongoing shift should include purchasing a large number of Saab Gripens, building Gripens in Canada for our own domestic needs and to help Ukraine, and making it clear that Canada is open for business when it comes to working with trustworthy democratic nations seeking to expand their defence capabilities.
Spencer Fernando
If this piece left you clearer than it found you, that's the point. I write for readers who want to think past the week, to see the longer pattern beneath the daily story, and to come away steadier rather than more agitated.
I can write this way because my work answers to no one but you. No subsidies, no strings.
The deeper pieces, where I work things through at the length the daily writing doesn't allow, live on Patreon. $20/month or $216/year.