The United States has suspended its participation in a landmark bilateral defence body, with a senior Pentagon official warning on Thursday that Canada has failed to take the steps necessary to become a “credible”<\/strong> security partner \u2014 pointing specifically to lagging military spending and an unresolved review of a major fighter jet purchase.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The Pentagon announced on May 18 that it was “pausing”<\/strong> its involvement in the U.S.-Canada Permanent Joint Board on Defense (PJBD)<\/strong>, the senior advisory body on North American continental defence that has existed since 1940. The suspension marks a significant diplomatic signal from Washington at a time of already strained relations between the two countries.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n “Canada has yet to make the hard decisions and tradeoffs needed to put it on track to become a credible partner in the mutual defense of our continent and hemisphere,” the Pentagon official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The official said Canada must develop a concrete, resource-backed plan to raise its core defence spending from 2% to 3.5% of GDP by 2035<\/strong> \u2014 a target significantly higher than the NATO benchmark of 2%.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The Pentagon also took direct aim at Canada’s prolonged review of its plan to purchase 88 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets<\/strong>. That review was expected to conclude around September 2025 but remains incomplete.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Complicating matters, Canada has floated the possibility of splitting its future fighter fleet \u2014 acquiring some F-35s while also purchasing Gripen jets from Swedish manufacturer Saab<\/strong>. The idea has emerged against a backdrop of deepening trade tensions with Washington.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n “The Canadian government’s delays and lack of transparency around its ongoing F-35 review are just one example of the prioritization of politics over our shared responsibility for North America’s defense,” the official said. “The Department welcomes a rapid conclusion to this review.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The Canadian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The dispute over defence spending is unfolding within a broader deterioration of Canada-U.S. relations. President Donald Trump<\/strong> and Prime Minister Mark Carney<\/strong> have clashed repeatedly over trade policy, as well as Trump’s stated interest in acquiring Greenland and his suggestion that Canada could become the 51st American state.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Pentagon has identified the Arctic<\/strong> as an increasingly critical zone for U.S. national security and economic interests, and has been pressing NATO allies to meaningfully strengthen their own defence capabilities.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Carney has publicly acknowledged that Canada’s historically close ties to the United States, once considered an asset, have become a source of vulnerability. He has moved to deepen relationships with what he describes as “middle powers”<\/strong>, positioning Canada within a coalition of allies less dependent on Washington.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Despite the Pentagon’s move, Carney has sought to play down the significance of the PJBD suspension, framing it as one episode within a broader and ongoing relationship.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Pentagon Suspends Defence Talks With Canada, Citing Spending Gaps and F-35 Delays The United States has suspended its participation in a landmark bilateral defence body, with a senior Pentagon official warning on Thursday that Canada has failed to take the steps necessary to become a “credible” security partner \u2014 pointing specifically to lagging military spending […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1065,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\nA Historic Body Put on Hold<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Spending Targets and Fighter Jet Delays<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
A Relationship Under Pressure<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n