By Canadian Press

Biden visit puts Canadian defence spending back under microscope

Mar 22, 2023 | 10:53 AM

OTTAWA — U.S. President Joe Biden’s long-anticipated first trip to Ottawa this week is expected to put Canada’s defence spending back under the microscope.

American presidents have a long history of pushing Canada to spend more on its military, including Barack Obama in a speech to Parliament in 2016.

Such pressure has come as Canada consistently lags most of its allies in terms of defence spending as a percentage of its national GDP.

Experts say they fully expect Biden to follow the same script during his visit to the national capital on Thursday and Friday, particularly in light of current events.

That includes Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising concerns about an increasingly ambitious China, which has led other allies such as Germany to invest more.

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Biden is also expected to echo recent statements by the U.S. ambassador to Canada, David Cohen, about the need for urgency in modernizing North America’s air defences. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 22, 2023.

The Canadian Press