The United States has welcomed Canada’s announcement of its intention to increase its defence budget and boost its military numbers.
Defence Minister, Harjit Sajjan, announced details of the policy during a news conference in the Canadian capital of Ottawa.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told Parliament that Canada could no longer rely on the United States to offer protection and as such needed to boost its own military capability.
She said: “We will make the necessary investments in our military, to not only address years of neglect and underfunding, but also to place the Canadian armed forces on a new footing.”
Last year Canada spent just over 1% was spent on defence, placing at 20th of 28 NATO members in terms of military spending. NATO members are obliged to spend a minimum of 2% of their GDP on their defence budget.
In a statement backing the announcement, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said: “The United States welcomes Canada’s marked increase in investment in their military and their continued commitment to a strong defence relationship with the United States and NATO.
“In light of today’s security challenges around the world it’s critical for Canada’s moral voice to be supported by the hard power of a strong military.”
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