(L–R) Vermont Senator Peter Welch, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, Maine Senator Angus King, and moderator Jane Harman take part in the Halifax International Security Forum in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Nov. 22, 2025. The Canadian Press/Kelly Clark
A U.S. lawmaker says while it’s good news that Canada has now committed to meeting its NATO defence spending target, the country needs to make up for the amount it missed over the past two decades.
Speaking on a panel at the Halifax International Security Forum (HFX) on Nov. 22, Thom Tillis, a Republican senator from North Carolina, said he has a “serious frustration” with NATO countries that failed to meet the minimum spending goal of 2 percent of their GDP on defence over the last 20 years. The consequence, he said, is a $2 trillion shortfall, with “$300 billion from Canada alone.”
