In the context of the race for leadership of the Canadian Liberal Party, the main candidates have pledged to increase Canada's defense spending to meet its commitments to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This shift comes in response to growing pressure from allies to enhance Canada's defense capabilities.

Currently, Canada allocates about 1.3% of its Gross Domestic Product to defense spending, which is below NATO's specified target of 2%. The Canadian government has faced criticism from some allies for not achieving this goal.

Among the candidates, former Defence Minister Anita Anand emphasized the importance of increasing defense spending to strengthen Canada's position within NATO. Another candidate, Mark Holland, pointed to the need to invest in defense capabilities to address the growing security challenges on the international stage.

It is worth noting that this discussion comes at a time when the world is experiencing rising geopolitical tensions, highlighting the importance of enhancing the defense capabilities of NATO member states.