Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas is calling on NATO allies to hit the alliance's defence spending target of two per cent of national GDP. (REUTERS/Yves Herman)
Estonia's prime minister is calling on all NATO countries, including Canada, to increase their defence spending to a minimum of 2 per cent of national GDP in response to Russia's war on Ukraine.
"The security situation in the world has completely changed after the 24th of February," Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told CBC News Network's Power & Politics, citing the day Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine.
"It is wise even for those countries that have much better neighbours than we do [to] still think about this," Kallas said to host Vassy Kapelos. "If you look at the long-haul missiles, they go pretty far."
NATO allies, including Canada, agreed in 2014 to increase defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP by 2024.
Canada has never hit that target and currently spends only 1.39 per cent of GDP on defence, according to NATO figures. The Liberal government's defence spending forecast only sees Canada hitting 1.48 per cent by 2024-25.
Estonia — a small nation of 1.3 million people bordering Russia — currently spends 2.28 per cent of its GDP on defence and has consistently exceeded the two per cent target since 2014.
"I understand that politically that there could be disputes over defence spending. I mean, I would also like to spend more on education and research and development than on defence, but this is the reality that we have here," said Kallas.
While the Trudeau government has not committed to meeting NATO's target, Defence Minister Anita Anand said earlier this month that Canada will spend more on defence.
"Why? Because we see the threat environment as changing rapidly but also because continental defence is a priority for me, personally as minister, and for our government," Anand told CBC's Power & Politics.
Kommentaarid on kirjutatud EWR lugejate poolt. Nende sisu ei pruugi ühtida EWR toimetuse seisukohtadega.
Hilary A. Amolins07 Apr 2022 04:07
Canada has become soft and irrelevant. The Liberal/NDP merger will drive this country into a socialist quicksand sucking away all prospect of growth and strength. Our leaders have mortgaged the future and I mourn the country we are leaving our children. The only hope to ever achieve honorable defense spending of at least 2.0% must await change in government. Considering events unfolding in Ukraine, by then it may be too late.
Take care of burning house 1st06 Apr 2022 06:26
One step at a time. You have to take care of the war first. It's a dog eat dog world at the moment ... autocrats running rampant.
There needs to be a strategy of cutting off autocrats at the pass. Anne Applebaum has an excellent article about us needing to figure out how to do this: https://www.theatlantic.com/ma...
In another article she points out how the west has enabled dictators from the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union. She even starts the article with Lennart Meri's warning and Putin storming out ... a red flag there, since we know what happened as we fast-forward to today.
Spending more money for more weapons is an excellent strategy for war. Has the P.M. a strategy for peace? How much of GDP should be spent on a strategy for peace?