Trudeau Opens Door to More Military Spending in Response to Russian Invasion

Trudeau Opens Door to More Military Spending in Response to Russian Invasion
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responds to a question during a joint media availability with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte on Downing St., March 7, 2022 in London. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld
The Canadian Press
Updated:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is opening the door to spending more on Canada’s military in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Trudeau is in London today for meetings with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte where all were asked about shoring up their defence budgets.

Trudeau says the Liberal government previously committed to spending hundreds of billions of additional dollars on the military as part of its defence policy but acknowledged the world has changed since that policy was released five years ago,

He says the government needs to make sure the Canadian Armed Forces has the equipment it needs.

All NATO members agreed in 2014 to spend the equivalent of two percent of their GDP on defence in response to Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region.

Last week Germany said it would hike spending to go above that target but Canada’s spending plan still leaves it far short of the two percent goal.