The Trump administration has frequently accused US allies of failing to live up to mutual defence obligations. Published On 18 May 202618 May 2026The United States has said it will not take part in a joint board for continental defence with Canada, depicting the country as failing to live up to its defence obligations.On Monday, US Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby wrote on social media that his department would halt its involvement in the Permanent Joint Board on Defense to “reassess” the forum’s benefits.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThe board dates back to World War II and has served as a forum for regional security. But relations with Canada have grown strained since US President Donald Trump returned to office for a second term in 2025.“A strong Canada that prioritizes hard power over rhetoric benefits us all. Unfortunately, Canada has failed to make credible progress on its defense commitments,” Colby wrote on X.“We can no longer avoid the gaps between rhetoric and reality. Real powers must sustain our rhetoric with shared defense and security responsibilities.”The announcement is the latest instance of the Trump administration chiding Western allies for what the president believes is an overreliance on US military power.Allied countries have largely refuted his claims, arguing that they are ramping up military spending and taking steps to take greater control over regional security.Just last year, at a NATO summit in The Hague, nearly every member state agreed to increase defence spending to 5 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP). Spain petitioned to be excluded from the agreement, though.Canada, under Prime Minister Mark Carney, was among the countries committing to the increased spending. Advertisement Of the 5 percent earmarked for defence, …
