US senator says Trump would laugh at Canada’s military spending, tells Trudeau to do more
Jim Risch said Ottawa’s pledge to meet Nato’s target by 2032 would get a ‘large guffaw’ from the US president-elect
A senator and supporter of Donald Trump said on Friday the US president-elect would laugh at Canada’s current military spending plans and said the country must do more.
Idaho Republican Senator Jim Risch, ranking member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the remarks at the start of the annual Halifax International Security Forum which attracts defence and security officials from Western democracies.
According to Nato figures, Canada was estimated to be spending 1.33 per cent of GDP on its military budget in 2023, below the 2 per cent target that Nato countries have set for themselves.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Canada will meet the alliance’s target by 2032.
“With all due respect. We’re good with friends with Canada and they say ‘Well, we’re working on this.’ We say ‘What does that mean? And they say ‘Well, we’re kind of looking at 2032,’” Risch said during a panel discussion.
“If Trump were in this room you would get a large guffaw from him on 2032. It’s got to be better than that. It truly, truly has to be better than that.”
Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair said his government knows it needs to increase defence spending, but he has to ensure Canada gets “good value” for its investments.
