Prime Minister Mark Carney started a two-day stop in the Netherlands on Tuesday, as NATO coalition members prepare to decide whether to more than double their defense spending targets.
The main talks in The Hague were not held until Wednesday, with Carney attending several bilateral meetings for the first time.
Kahni will meet with the Prime Ministers of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs and the Dutch Dick Schoof. He will also meet with leaders of Nordic countries to discuss negotiations on Arctic and transatlantic security.
The Prime Minister will also meet with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima.
Foreign Secretary Anita Anand will talk to journalists twice today, first at the Theatre around 7:15 a.m. ET and then at 8:30 a.m. ET.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte both said they hope that members of the alliance promise to achieve a new goal of 5% of GDP for national defense, a two-point goal from 2014.
According to the alliance's own data, none of NATO's 32 members spent a lot of money in 2024. All of them promised to hit two percent of the figure this year, including the first time since the goal was created.
A Canadian government official introduced the reporter to reporters before his trip, saying the spending targets and their timeline are still under discussion. Some allies said they prefer the seven-year schedule, while others hope to reach the 5% target.
Since the 1950s, Canada's defense spending has not yet reached 5% of GDP. NATO estimates Canada spent 41 billion Canadian dollars on defense in 2024, accounting for 1.37% of GDP. In 2014, Canada spent $20.1 billion on defense, or 1.01% of GDP.
In 2014, the current two-percent goal was first set when only three NATO members reached the mark – the United States, Britain and Greece.
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The consensus among all 32 NATO member states must develop any new spending guidelines and no member is currently approaching. The U.S. is the highest in 2024, but President Donald Trump said that the number should not apply to the U.S., but only to allies.
Rutte plans are expected to be proposed on the top of the hill, which contains some swing rooms to help allies reach this height of the figure.
It will commit to spend 3.5% of its annual GDP on core defense needs such as jets and other weapons, while spending 1.5% on defensive consulting areas such as infrastructure, cybersecurity and industry.
The internal fragments have emerged as the leader of the summit.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Sunday that Spain has reached an agreement with NATO to exclude it from new spending targets. Like Canada, Spain has long struggled to achieve its two-percent goal and rejected new proposals.
Rut warned on Monday that no country can withdraw from the target and will review progress on the new target within four years.
NATO has also caused controversy in Italy, with Defense Minister Guido Crosetto recently saying that the alliance “no reason to exist anymore.”
With nearby Germany, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, they will start a two-day summit on Tuesday.
Canadian Defense Secretary David McGuinty “stayed attention” when asked earlier this month whether Canada agreed to the five per cent plan.
Jan Techau, senior fellow at the Transatlantic Defense and Security Program at the European Center for Policy Analysis, said the overall ambition of the European Ministry of Defense has grown “significantly” over the past few years in response to Russian aggression.
“The closer you are to Russia, the more ambitious you are,” he said.
Speaking to reporters at a military cemetery in Antwerp on Monday, Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever said that while he did not meet the 5% target, it was important that the country stayed in NATO. He also said the proposed breakdown of 3.5% and 1.5% “helped”.
Lauren Speranza, a researcher at the European Center for Policy Analysis, said the NATO summit is at a “very unstable moment” as a sign of US commitment to Europe, grinding conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and ongoing tensions over transatlantic trade.
Sperransa said the meeting will provide some insight into how the Trump administration will approach the coalition after NATO criticized NATO and called on Europe to take more responsibility for its defense.
Rut said on Monday that the recent U.S. strike on Iran's nuclear facility does not violate international law.
Prime Minister Carney, who called for a diplomatic solution to the crisis, said on Monday that Iran pursues nuclear weapons while expressing its desire to eliminate the state of Israel.
In a statement on Sunday, Carney said Iran's nuclear program is a “serious threat” to international security, and Canada “always clearly” shows that Iran “can never develop nuclear weapons.”
Tuesday's schedule also includes receptions and social dinners for the Dutch king and queen.
– With Ottawa Kyle Duggan and the Associated Press documents
& Copy 2025 Canadian Press
