Canada’s Defence Plans: Rebuilding, Rearming, and Reinvesting

• In a move towards strengthening international security, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has expressed his intention for Canada to join a pivotal European initiative aimed at bolstering defensive capabilities. Speaking to CBC on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, Carney said he hoped Canada would sign on to ReArm Europe - a plan to dramatically increase defence spending on the continent in the next five years - in a bid to reduce reliance on the US.
• "Seventy-five cents of every (Canadian) dollar of capital spending for defence goes to the United States. That's not smart," Carney told the public broadcaster. His remarks come amid tension with the US after threats from President Donald Trump, though Carney has also previously said he is open to joining a missile defence project proposed by Trump.
• A day after Carney's remarks, Canada's defence minister, David McGuinty, told a military trade show that his country wanted to quickly boost defence capacity in the face of growing global threats. McGuinty said there would be a future focus on the Arctic, where competing nations were challenging Canada's sovereignty.
• Defence also featured in this week’s Speech from the Throne, an event that opened the new parliament and outlined the sitting government's agenda. The address was read in person by King Charles III, Canada's monarch, as part of a royal visit that was designed to highlight Canada's identity and sovereignty. The speech contained commitments to "rebuilding, rearming, and reinvesting" in Canada's military.
• The remarks by Canadian officials come after North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte said he expected members of his Western defence alliance, including Canada, to grow their annual defence spending to a level equivalent to 5% of each nation's GDP, up from 2% previously.

(Source: BBC News)