Carney: Trump call covered Iran, Arctic beyond NATO
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- Carney said his Wednesday call with Trump went beyond NATO to cover Iran, Middle East security, Arctic defence and Canadian military spending — even though the PMO's initial readout referenced only NATO talks, and senior officials including Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and the chairman of the joint chiefs joined at times.
- Carney predicted Canada will spend 4% of GDP on defence by 2029 — 2.5% directly on the military and 1.5% on defence infrastructure — one year ahead of the alliance's scheduled formal review of the spending benchmark.
- Carney disclosed Canada has helped propose an independent Hormuz International Maritime Authority to prevent future economic blockades and is coordinating G7 pressure for comprehensive IAEA access to Iran's heavily damaged uranium enrichment sites.
- Trump openly complained to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office the same day about allies' reluctance to support the US-led war with Iran, while Rutte pushed back: 'your European allies have been there with you.'
- Rutte told reporters Thursday that alliance members are expected to unveil tens of billions of dollars in new defence contracts at the July 7-8 Ankara summit, where Carney's earlier-than-expected 4% pledge could set the bar.
- Stephen Saideman of Carleton University said allies are growing weary of Trump rhetoric, arguing that demanding Europe fix the Strait of Hormuz to extract the US from 'his own mistake' is wearing thin — pointing to Trump's recent public clash with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni as evidence patience is fraying.
Why it matters: Carney's 2029 four-percent pledge puts Canada ahead of the NATO review year while Trump is simultaneously berating allies for not backing his Iran war — a contradiction Saideman flagged directly, noting the war 'was absolutely awful for everybody' and NATO 'was not advised about it ahead of time.' The Meloni dust-up suggests Trump's pressure tactics on close ideological allies are reaching a ceiling, and the Ankara summit will test whether allies reward or resist.
