Ottawa reviewing defence spending ‘top to bottom’ ahead of NATO summit, McGuinty says

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, centre left, speaks with Defence Minister David McGuinty, center, during a meeting of NATO defence ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

OTTAWA — Defence Minister David McGuinty says Ottawa is reviewing its defence spending plans “from top to bottom” as Canada comes under pressure from allies to ramp up spending to levels not seen since the height of the Cold War.

Speaking with European news media outside NATO headquarters in Brussels, McGuinty said the federal government will have more to say “very soon” about its alliance spending commitments and will be “making announcements in this regard.”

McGuinty is in Belgium taking part in the NATO defence ministers’ meeting.

Leaders of allied nations will gather at the end of the month in the Netherlands for the annual NATO summit, where they’re widely expected to agree on a massive hike to their defence spending commitments.

Canada is under pressure from its allies to increase its defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP — a three-point hike from the current target.

Ottawa has long struggled to meet the current 2 per cent benchmark and currently spends just 1.33 per cent of its GDP on defence, according to a recent NATO report.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025.

The Canadian Press