The Washington Post reported, citing leaked classified documents from the US Department of Defense, that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau secretly informed NATO leaders that Canada would not be able to meet the alliance's demand for its members to allocate at least 2% of their total GDP to defense.

The document obtained by the prestigious American newspaper stated that "widespread shortcomings in the Canadian military apparatus are harming its allies and security partners."

The unnamed authors of the document also added that the chronic shortage of resources in Canada's Department of National Defence has convinced the Canadian Armed Forces "to forgo undertaking major operations while leading NATO's combat group in Latvia and maintaining assistance provided to Ukraine."

The document also stated that the reality of the Canadian Armed Forces "is not about to change."

It is noted that over the past 26 years, Canada's military spending has not exceeded 1.4% of its total GDP. In March, a NATO report stated that Canada's defense expenditures accounted for 1.29% of its total GDP in the fiscal year 2022-2023.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Department of National Defence responded by recalling the importance of its contribution to NATO, without denying the information contained in The Washington Post.

Among the US Department of Defense’s criticisms of Canada is its failure to modernize its military equipment.

In response to this criticism, it was noted that Canada will begin receiving 88 F-35 fighter jets produced by the American company Lockheed Martin, valued at $19 billion, and that it is investing $38.6 billion to upgrade its capabilities as part of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

Minden added that Canada has pledged to provide an additional $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine.

"Canada will continue to build its military capabilities to meet the challenges of today's world. Overall, Canada’s defense policy has increased our defense spending by more than 70% between 2017 and 2026. We also announced an additional $8 billion in military expenditures in the 2022 budget," added the spokesperson for the Minister of National Defence.

Minden pointed out that Canada is currently updating its defense policy to "increase the readiness, resilience, and relevance of the Canadian Armed Forces."

The document issued by the US Department of Defense, which the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was unable to obtain a copy of, also indicated that concerns and disappointment regarding Canada’s military commitment are not limited to the United States but extend to other international partners.

According to the document, Germany is concerned that Canada may not be able to continue supporting Ukraine simultaneously with meeting NATO's defense requirements.

Meanwhile, Ankara was disappointed by the Canadian military’s refusal to contribute to humanitarian air transport following the devastating earthquake that struck eastern Turkey last February.

And always according to the leaked American document, Haitian authorities feel frustrated by Canada’s reluctance to lead an international mission to restore security in Haiti, which is suffering from a severe political and humanitarian crisis.