NATO allies

A U.S. military expert who famously turned down an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to act as his national security adviser says it's more important than ever that Canada "be in the fight" when it comes to its military commitments.

Canada has learned a lot about how to protect against foreign election meddling through its support of Ukraine in its ongoing battles with Russia, says Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland.

Canada has no plans to double the amount of money it spends on its military, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday, July 10, 2018, as he all but shrugged off Donald Trump's persistent demand that America's fellow NATO allies start spending two per cent of their GDP on defence.

The stage is being set for another confrontation between world leaders and Donald Trump, with Canada and other NATO allies preparing to counter the U.S. president's persistent complaint that they aren't carrying their fair share of the burden of being part of the 69-year-old military alliance.

The Trudeau government has sent its strongest signals yet that Canada does not plan to bow to U.S. pressure to dramatically increase what it spends on defence.