Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is exploring the possibility of joining the second phase of AUKUS, a U.S.-led alliance with the United Kingdom and Australia.
It follows the US encouraging Japan joining the phase, known as Pillar II.
The initial pillar of the alliance, forged in 2021 , was focused on developing nuclear-powered submarines for Australia. Trudeau says Canada will consider whether it needs to purchase nuclear-powered submarines to better ensure it can defend Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic.
He made the comments today as the federal government released its long-awaited defence policy review, which is focused on better protecting Canadian sovereignty in the North.
The plan includes billions of dollars in new spending, but lacks a detailed plan to reach NATO’s spending target of two per cent of GDP.
The plan, which includes new submarines, long-range missiles and early-warning aircraft, will instead boost military spending to 1.76 per cent by 2030.
