Pentagon suspends long-running US-Canadian military council

AA / Washington / Guldogan’s daughter

The American Department of Defense announced Monday that it was suspending its participation in the Permanent Joint Defense Council (PJBD) with Canada, a historic bilateral body responsible for coordinating military cooperation between the two countries, amid criticism of Ottawa’s military commitments.

“A strong Canada, which favors concrete power over speeches, is beneficial for all. Unfortunately, Canada has not made credible progress on its defense commitments,” said US Deputy Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby on the US X platform.

According to him, the Pentagon will now “reassess the usefulness of this forum for the common defense of North America.”

Created in 1940, the Permanent Joint Defense Council has for decades been one of the main mechanisms for military coordination between Washington and Ottawa. He notably played a key role in continental security policy, Arctic defense and North American strategic cooperation.

Elbridge Colby presented this decision as part of a broader reorientation of American strategy, focused on better sharing of responsibilities between allies and on strengthening national defense capabilities.

“We can no longer ignore the gap between speeches and reality. Serious powers must accompany their declarations with concrete and shared commitments in matters of defense and security,” he asserted.

“Ensuring the common defense of the continent begins by recognizing our shared geography. Only by investing in our own defense capabilities can Americans and Canadians be secure and prosper,” he added.

The former leader of the Canadian Conservative Party, Erin O’Toole, sharply criticized the decision, calling it “deeply misguided and quite strange”, as it comes shortly after US President Donald Trump’s recent visit to China.

“Canada has always been, and will remain, an ally attached to the values ​​of freedom. As a Canadian whose grandfather was deployed to Alaska in common defense during the Second World War, I hope we don’t lose sight of that,” he said.

*translated from English by Ayse Betul Akcesme