NATO leaders have committed to spending more on national defense, even as Canada and other countries fail to meet the previous target.
A statement issued this afternoon in Vilnius, Lithuania, states that NATO members are committed to making 2% of GDP the minimum spending each year, with one-fifth of that allocated to equipment.
The allies acknowledge that more is urgently needed to fulfill their commitments as members of the military alliance.
Only about a third of the 31 members spend 2% or more on defense.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas says her message to the allies is that the threat from Russia is real and more is needed.
She and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met today, and she thanked Canada for its commitment to sending more troops and more money to a NATO mission in Latvia.
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