Latvian defence minister says he's been assured Canada will meet NATO spending targets

Latvian Defence Minister Andris Sprūds says he’s been assured by his Canadian counterpart that Canada plans to meet the NATO spending target of two per cent of GDP on defence.

In an interview airing Sunday, Sprūds told CTV’s Question Period host Vassy Kapelos that he “absolutely” has faith that Canada plans to reach the spending goal, following assurances from Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair.

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Canada has long faced pressure to meet the alliance’s decade-old pledge to spend two per cent of GDP on defence, while some NATO officials have recently pushed even further, saying Canada is the only member of the group without a target date to do so.

Canada, along with the other NATO alliance members, signed onto the spending agreement in 2014, doubling down last summer when the two-per-cent target became a minimum requirement.

The federal government has continued to insist it plans to reach the goal, but has never laid out a timeline.

In a pair of interviews that aired on CTV’s Question Period last month, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith told Kapelos they expect Canada to set a date.

Smith also said the absence of a target date is a sign Canada “lacks the commitment” allies want to see.

But when asked whether Canada has guaranteed it will hit the two per cent, Sprūds said “yes.”

“I was assured about the ambition to achieve the goal at some point, yes,” he told Kapelos during a visit to Ottawa this week.

Latvia spent about 2.3 per cent of its GDP on defence in 2022, according to NATO — placing it ninth among the alliance’s 31 members — with plans to move toward three per cent “quite soon,” Sprūds said.

He added that both when it comes to the alliance’s preparedness, but also in terms of showing commitment to said alliance, the two per cent number is “important.”

Despite having yet to lay out a timeline to reach the alliance’s target, the Canadian federal government has pointed to commitments to increase funding for Norad, plans to purchase F-35 fighter jets, and an increased presence in Latvia as signs of boosting its defence spending.

Sprūds said when it comes to Canada’s military presence in Latvia, Canada’s contributions to NATO are “highly appreciated.”

“The most important in this regard is there is a commitment and ambition that (the two per cent) should be achieved,” he said. “And of course, in this case, it's also for the Canadian government and Canadian society to decide the timeline which would be the most optimal.”

Canada spent nearly 1.4 per cent of its GDP on defence last year, according to NATO, ranking it 25 out of 31 member states. Because of Canada’s larger GDP compared to other members, however, Canada is seventh when it comes to actual spending in U.S. dollars.

Sprūds also discussed Canada’s military mission in Latvia — which he said shows Canada’s “symbolic and practical solidarity with NATO” — and the possibility of expanding those efforts to increase the number of Canadian troops in the country.

The Latvian defence minister said there is “mutual assurance” that both countries are on track with the roadmap to expand that mission by 2026.

With files from CTV’s Question Period Senior Producer Stephanie Ha