Canada continues to miss its NATO defence spending target, but Defence Minister Bill Blair promises the goal will eventually be reached, as RussiaB次元官网网址檚 war in Ukraine raises a threat of expanded conflict in Europe.

Numbers NATO released this week show Canada is expected to spend 1.37 per cent of its gross domestic product on defence this year, falling short of the two per cent target Western allies have agreed upon.

Blair took pains to note that the federal Liberals are doing better than their Conservative predecessors.

B次元官网网址淚n 2014, CanadaB次元官网网址檚 defence spending actually fell for the only time in its history below one per cent,B次元官网网址� Blair said.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 a long way to come back from.B次元官网网址�

Last year, members of the alliance agreed to spend a minimum of two per cent of their economies on defence, a reflection of worries over RussiaB次元官网网址檚 ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

BlairB次元官网网址檚 comments come as NATOB次元官网网址檚 Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg visits Ottawa.

He is slated to give a speech and receive an award at an event hosted by the NATO Association of Canada on Wednesday afternoon. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is then expected to host him for dinner.

That follows a Monday visit to Washington, D.C., where Stoltenberg met with U.S. President Joe Biden.

A handful of protesters gathered outside a building in the parliamentary precinct where Stoltenberg was set to speak on Wednesday.

On the sidewalk in front of the building, B次元官网网址淐anada lagging behind our NATO alliesB次元官网网址� was written in chalk, along with B次元官网网址淭rudeau and Blair laughing stocks of the worldB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淐anadians are not laughing.B次元官网网址�

Defence spending across European allies and Canada, was up nearly 18 per cent this year alone, Stoltenberg said during a speech at the White House B次元官网网址� the biggest increase in decades.

Blair has said CanadaB次元官网网址檚 defence spending will climb to at least 1.75 per cent of its GDP by 2029.

He asserted Wednesday that additional spending on a new submarine fleet and integrated air defence and missile systems will probably push the figure past the two per cent mark.

B次元官网网址淟et me assure you that weB次元官网网址檝e been doing a great deal of work within our Defence Department, with the government of Canada, but also with our NATO allies,B次元官网网址� Blair said on Wednesday.

He said allies were B次元官网网址渧ery encouragedB次元官网网址� by a defence policy update Canada released earlier this year.

B次元官网网址淚t results in historic and upward trajectory of defence spending for Canada.B次元官网网址�

Both Blair and Treasury Board President Anita Anand acknowledged this week that spending is delayed because of a shortage of procurement workers.

B次元官网网址淲e have the ability to accelerate spending. It does require an investment in people to get the job done,B次元官网网址� Blair said.

The Liberal government has set aside $1.8 billion over 20 years to increase the number of workers who can purchase new equipment, recruit, train new soldiers and upgrade infrastructure.

ItB次元官网网址檚 superficial to speak about the two per cent target without examining how that money will be spent in the short and long term, said Anand, who was former defence minister but now holds the governmentB次元官网网址檚 purse strings.

B次元官网网址淚f you can understand that procurements take time and they require expertise, then you would see the need to have more public servants who are able to work on those procurements B次元官网网址� and multiple procurements at the same time B次元官网网址� to get them out the door, to spend that money,B次元官网网址� she said Tuesday.

B次元官网网址淎nd why would we continue to fill the books with additional money if that money canB次元官网网址檛 get out the door?B次元官网网址�

StoltenbergB次元官网网址檚 last visit to Canada was in August 2022, when he and Trudeau spent time in the Arctic together.

That region is the highlight of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 most recent defence policy update, and itB次元官网网址檚 seen as increasingly important to NATO since Sweden and Finland joined the alliance.

NATO leaders are set to meet in Washington, D.C., next month for an annual summit and mark the allianceB次元官网网址檚 75th anniversary.

Increasing funding for Ukraine will be an agenda priority, after Stoltenberg came forward with a proposal for all NATO allies to contribute 40 billion euros a year, Blair said.

At the White House, Stoltenberg said his expectation for next monthB次元官网网址檚 meeting is to have allies agree B次元官网网址渢o step up financial and military support to Ukraine,B次元官网网址� and reduce the burden on the U.S.

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