The NATO summit has officially started in Vilnius, and guess who’s heading to the arena to face potential humiliation? None other than our very own Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau is set to attend the NATO gathering where allies are eagerly preparing to scrutinize his past behavior with fellow members.
NATO leaders have converged in Lithuania for a crucial summit that could determine the course of the war in Ukraine and the future of the Western alliance. The 31 allies aim to demonstrate to Russia their unwavering resolve to support Ukraine militarily for the long haul.
Yet, amidst the sea of determined faces, there stands one leader taking cold, cautious steps—Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. It is abundantly clear that Trudeau is not NATO’s cheerleader. Leaks from the Pentagon have already shed light on Trudeau’s reluctance to commit 2% of Canada’s GDP to NATO. However, the allies are not buying his excuses.
Now, NATO plans to call upon Canada and other member countries to outline a detailed plan of action on how they intend to meet the 2024 spending targets.
A Herculean Task
The reality is that there’s simply no feasible way for Canada to meet this target without taking on an exorbitant amount of federal debt beyond what is already planned.
In recent years, the Canadian government has significantly increased program spending, resulting in a staggering climb from $8,980 per person in 2014 to $11,518 in 2022—an increase of 28.3%. Ottawa’s focus has shifted from core government functions, such as defense and justice, to expanding or implementing new programs like $10-a-day daycare, national dental care, and the Canada Child Benefit.
This surge in federal spending has led to persistent deficits and substantial debt accumulation. Despite recording eight consecutive deficits, the Trudeau government plans to add at least five more to the list (including a hefty $40.1-billion deficit this year), burdening future generations with over $100 billion in additional debt by 2027-2028.
Read More: Pig Farm- Bernardo- Williams-Trudeau: Meet the real Justin Trudeau
Is There Any Option?
Shockingly, even with all this borrowing, Canada continues to fall short of its NATO spending commitments.
So, Trudeau finds himself backed into a corner, offering limited options to justify Canada’s stance to NATO allies. So, what card does he have up his sleeve? Well, there is one last gamble he might play—borrowing from allies, on specific conditions to bolster the military.
While not explicitly part of NATO’s formal structures and processes, such arrangements are permissible under its guidelines.
Justin Trudeau has been known to employ unexpected tactics to evade backlash. Remember, when Germany wanted Canadian oil, Trudeau swiftly offered cool deals and hydrogen to Germany to avoid back lash.
Similarly with Ukraine. Canada has never offered lethal assistance to Ukraine. Instead, Canada has just provided non-lethal aid and pieces of training to Ukraine.
Truth be told, this might be his best bet. But at what cost? By succumbing to this move, Canada’s debt will skyrocket, placing the burden squarely on the shoulders of Canadian taxpayers and making Canada a state of vassal of other Western states.
Read More: Canada’s loyalty to its allies gets proved in the most unfortunate ways
The price of such a decision is bound to be steep, and only time will reveal the true consequences of Trudeau’s risky maneuver. It’s a truly dire situation that may soon unfold—a state where Canada becomes a vassal, indebted to its allies.
Watch More:
