Pentagon provides Canada with defense priorities document | Radio-Canada

The Pentagon provided Ottawa with a classified document outlining priorities for North American collective defense with Canada, but the federal government did not provide a credible response, according to a senior American defense official.

This is just one of several sticking points that are driving a wedge in North American defense cooperation, according to senior Pentagon officials.

Among these points of friction is also the delay taken by Canada in its decision concerning the acquisition of F-35 fighter planes.

A Trump administration official spoke this week to a small group of journalists, mainly Canadians, to speak more candidly about relations between Canada and the United States.

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This official said that Ottawa’s response to the classified document was that Canada would work to align with the United States’ position on defense, but that Trump administration officials were waiting for a more concrete plan.

Defense Minister David McGuinty’s office did not respond to questions about whether it had received the classified document, which outlines the Trump administration’s defense expectations, or whether Ottawa had responded.

Alice Hansen, McGuinty’s communications director, said Canada has made historic investments in continental defense, Arctic security and military preparedness.

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Canada spent $63.4 billion on national defense in 2025, meeting its commitment toI’LL TAKE to devote 2% of gross domestic product to defense.

In an email, Hansen listed defense investments and said Canada would spend more than $82 billion over five years to strengthen the capabilities of the Canadian Armed Forces.

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Members of theI’LL TAKE met last year in The Hague and agreed to dedicate the equivalent of 5% of the GDP à la défense d’ici 2035.

Ms. Hansen added that Canada continues to accelerate its progress toward the new goal ofI’LL TAKE of 3.5% for base defense and that it optimized an additional 1.5% of GDP dedicated to defense spending and security-related investments.

No credible plan

Pentagon officials said Canada has not presented a credible plan for how it intends to meet its new defense spending commitments.

Elbridge Colby, US assistant secretary of defense for policy, announced Monday that his department was suspending the work of the Permanent Joint Committee on Defense to reassess how this forum contributes to the common defense of North America.

Created in 1940, this committee is a consultative forum focused on bilateral defense cooperation between the United States and Canada.

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Pentagon officials said the United States had communicated to Canada its expectations regarding collective defense requirements under the NORADsecurity issues in the Arctic andI’LL TAKE.

However, we do not know how they envisage Canada’s role in the projects of the Dôme d’or of the Trump administration or what place it occupied in the discussions.

Asked about Canada’s defense spending, Pentagon officials said Canada may have an investment list, but it did not show how the country would contribute to the defense of North America and was not necessarily sufficient.

A lack of communication

Jamie Tronnes, Center for North American Prosperity and Securitya project of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, indicated that the revelation regarding this classified document was a great example of how Canada and the United States continue to fail to communicate.

A classified wish list is seen by Canada as a request, but it is seen by the Pentagon as an orderexplained Ms. Tronnes in an email sent Friday to The Canadian Press.

She added that common defense priorities should be defined through joint discussions and assessments.

Canadians are honoring their commitments toI’LL TAKEbut it is true that Canada must do more in terms of spending to equip itself with significant defense capabilities that contribute to lethality, deterrence and the common defense priorities of the continenthighlighted Mme Tronnes.

The Pentagon’s decision to suspend the Permanent Joint Committee on Defense and criticize Canada’s defense spending does not come without reason.

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According to experts, this decision is probably linked to the purchase of F-35 fighter jets and the upcoming revision of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) on trade.

The Liberal government has not yet made a decision regarding its order of F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin. This issue has been the subject of political scrutiny for over a year.

Pentagon officials on Thursday criticized the review of the project, calling Canada’s approach dilatory.

The Trump administration is not the first to question Ottawa about its defense investments.

Canada has long faced criticism over its lagging defense spending, but with the return of U.S. President Donald Trump to the White House last year, the issue has been directly linked to broader trade issues.

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Prime Minister Mark Carney made historic investments in defence, meeting the old defense target for the first time.I’LL TAKEwhile Mr. Trump shook bilateral relations with his program of massive customs duties and his threats of annexation.

Mr. Carney has also faced criticism in Canada over the lack of transparency around future defense spending.

Former federal spending comptroller Kevin Page called on the Prime Minister on Friday to present a budget roadmap to meet the government’s new spending commitments.I’LL TAKE.

Mr. Page, who was Canada’s first parliamentary budget officer and who today directs the Institute for Fiscal Studies and Democracy at the University of Ottawa, argued that Ottawa had not demonstrated budgetary transparency in its calculations.

He added that Canada must soon show how it intends to significantly increase its defense spending by 2035.