(Ottawa) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met for a private dinner at Rideau Cottage on Wednesday, capping nine years as colleagues and friends.
But all that is about to change as Jens Stoltenberg’s twice-extended term as leader of the alliance ends in October. Mark Rutte, the outgoing Dutch prime minister, is widely expected to be chosen as his replacement.
Mr. Trudeau will face voters by fall 2025, along with other key NATO allies including France, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The day after their dinner, Mr. Stoltenberg sat down with The Canadian Press in Ottawa to discuss his relationship with Canada, a place he feels at home.
It’s a point he often likes to emphasize. In his many social media posts about his meetings with leaders, he has referred to Justin Trudeau as a friend.
His visit to Ottawa in the middle of a heatwave may have given the Norwegian the desire to return to the Arctic, where he stopped in 2022 during his last trip to Canadian soil. He also moved the interview to his hotel room at the Château Laurier because it was better air-conditioned.
Mr Stoltenberg even gave him leeway not to meet NATO’s defence spending target of 2% of gross domestic product (GDP).
“One of the challenges for Canada is that defense spending was very low in 2014, so there was a long way to go,” he said.
Defense Minister Bill Blair made a similar speech earlier this week, noting that Canada spent barely 1% of its GDP on defense under the previous Conservative government.
This year, that rate is expected to be 1.37%, or $41 billion.
Criticism is growing over the fact that Canada is the only ally not to have presented a plan to achieve its spending target.
Mr Stoltenberg was the messenger for three US presidents – Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden – who urged their allies to spend more.
At a re-election rally this year, Donald Trump encouraged Russia to “do whatever it wants” to any NATO member that doesn’t pay enough.
When asked how Canada should view these remarks, Mr. Stoltenberg responded that “it’s a very different situation today when it comes to defense spending” than when Donald Trump was US president. UNITED STATES.
“In reality, more and more allies are spending a lot more, and I’m sure every American president is aware of that. »
Although there will likely be a wave of new leaders in the coming months, perhaps even in Canada, Stoltenberg expects every leader to support a strong NATO.
“We live in a more dangerous world with more global rivalries and it is even more important now to be united,” he said.
He visited allies ahead of a NATO leaders’ summit in Washington next month and to mark the alliance’s 75th anniversary.
He reviewed every program and every problem, but did not reveal any guarantees received from Justin Trudeau.
“It’s up to Prime Minister Trudeau to announce anything on Canada’s behalf, but Canada has been and will continue to be a strong supporter of Ukraine,” he argued.
Ukraine will be the summit’s top priority, as Russia’s war raises the threat of the conflict spreading to Europe.
Justin Trudeau has made Ukraine a foreign policy highlight since taking office, and it has not gone unnoticed.
Since then, Canada has provided billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, including combat vehicles, F-16 pilot training, munitions and other military equipment.
Canada also leads a battle group in Latvia, one of eight such multinational forces intended to deter and respond to threats posed by Russia.
Mr Stoltenberg will ask for more when allies meet next month. He recently proposed that NATO countries contribute €40 billion a year (about C$58.6 billion).
“Our support for Ukraine is not a charitable act, it is in our own interest,” Stoltenberg said. The most costly option for NATO allies is to allow Vladimir Putin to win, because then we would have to invest even more in our defense. »
If Russia wins, the lesson for the Russian president and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping “is that when they use military force and invade another country, they get what they want.”