Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said that the nature of global security threats is changing rapidly, with NATO facing new challenges including hybrid warfare, hypersonic missiles and autonomous weapons.
Speaking ahead of the NATO Leaders’ Summit in Ankara, Carney said the alliance must adapt to a new security environment and described Russia as a “direct adversary.”
“The threats that we face are changing, changing rapidly, both in terms of the nature of warfare — hybrid warfare, hypersonic missiles, autonomous warfare — and also the direct threats that we face in terms of hybrid warfare,” Carney said.
He said defense responsibilities within NATO are shifting, with countries beyond the United States taking on greater roles.
“Burdens are shifting. Burdens are shifting away from the United States towards Canada, towards Europe,” he said.
Carney highlighted Canada’s planned increase in defense spending, saying the country’s military budget has grown significantly since he took office.
“Only before I became Prime Minister 18 months ago, we were spending one and a half percent of GDP on defense. It’s now going to be four percent in the next two years,” he said, calling the increase “an order of magnitude.”
The Canadian leader also pointed to recent military investments, saying Ottawa had completed its largest-ever defense procurement program with the announcement of new submarines.
“We just completed our largest defense procurement with submarines announced it two days ago,” Carney said, adding that “capacities are building” across NATO members.
He stressed that the alliance’s future approach must focus on regional security responsibilities, with countries developing capabilities based on their geographic priorities.
“If you’re Canada, focus obviously on North American security and the crescent that runs through the Arctic down into the Baltics,” he said.
Carney also announced that Canada would extend its Operation Reassurance commitment in Latvia, describing it as an example of the kind of regional strategy needed for a modern NATO.
“That’s the type of approach of a modern NATO, that’s the approach that meets the new threats that we face,” he said.