The Conference of Defence Associations Institute (CDAI) released an open letter, signed by over 60 former senior public servants, military and security officials, stating that Canada is not meeting international expectations for military spending. The letter was issued on April 16, just days before a Washington Post report on April 19 claimed that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau privately told NATO officials that Canada will never meet the alliance’s agreed-upon military spending target. NATO’s most recent annual report, released in March, estimated that Canada spent only 1.29% of its GDP on defense in 2022, far below the target of 2% agreed upon by the alliance’s member countries. The signatories of CDAI’s letter, which included former national defence ministers and senior public servants, maintained that Canada’s defense capabilities are outdated and inadequate for protecting the country’s landmass and maritime approaches. They called on Trudeau and the federal government to invest a minimum of 2% of GDP in defense spending.