Washington– The Pentagon announced Monday that the United States will temporarily halt its participation in a joint council with Canada for continental defense dating back to World War II, accusing Canada of failing to “make credible progress in its defense commitments.”
President Donald Trump has long accused Canada and other NATO countries of spending too little on their militaries, arguing that the United States bears too much of the defense burden. Tensions with Canada are also rising On definitionsthat End of the North American Free Trade Agreement and feud between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“We can no longer avoid gaps between rhetoric and reality,” said Elbridge Colby, Under Secretary of Defence, in announcing the suspension of a series of posts on X. “Real powers must back up our rhetoric with shared defense and security responsibilities.”
Colby’s publications noted increases in defense spending in Canada and other countries Agreed upon at the 2025 summit. He said that the United States will evaluate the extent to which the Permanent Joint Defense Council, composed of military and civilian officials from both countries, benefits the common defense in North America.
European allies and Canada have been investing heavily in their armed forces since Russia launched its all-out campaign Invasion of Ukraine In 2022. NATO countries, including Canada, Last year he pledged to spend 5%. of GDP on defense by 2035.
Carney told the Canadian government last year It will meet with the previous 2% Goal for this year.
The Pentagon said it had nothing to offer other than Colby’s posts on X. Carney’s office did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment on the Pentagon’s announcement.
This announcement reflects the weakness of the United States’ relations with its traditional Western allies during Trump’s second term. Pentagon last week I decided to withdraw Thousands of US troops are in Europe by canceling deployments to Poland and Germany after Trump criticized NATO members for not supporting the US and Israeli war against Iran.
Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska criticized the Pentagon’s decision on Monday, saying in a post on X: “The coolest… & Wiser brains are needed to maintain a close alliance with our neighbors.
“It all started with the quip that Canada would be the 51st state.” & “Their prime minister will be the 51st governor,” said Bacon, who is not running for re-election. He added: “The insults only gained us hostility, which cost us economically.” & Now militarily.”
The council was founded in 1940 — a year before the United States entered World War II — by President Franklin Roosevelt and Prime Minister Mackenzie King, according to the Congressional Research Service.
This agreement, also known as the Ogdensburg Agreement, helped provide a framework for continental defense during World War II and then the Cold War, according to the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia.
The council advised on the implementation of North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD. The joint command between the two countries was formed in the 1950s to monitor possible enemy attacks as tensions escalated with the Soviet Union, along with fears of a nuclear war.
The Mulroney Institute said the council was also involved in setting up early warning systems using radar stations, and advised on the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway, which connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes.