Pentagon officials linked the suspension to Canada’s defense spending and recent remarks from Prime Minister Mark Carney…
The United States Department of Defense announced it is pausing participation in the Permanent Joint Board on Defense with Canada, escalating tensions between Washington and Ottawa amid growing disputes over defense spending and foreign policy.
The board, established in 1940, has long served as the primary bilateral advisory forum coordinating U.S.-Canadian military cooperation on continental defense, Arctic security, and NORAD-related strategy.
Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby said the suspension was tied partly to comments made earlier this year by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos. In that speech, Carney warned of a “rupture” in the global order and called for middle powers to cooperate more independently rather than relying heavily on the United States.
As the Washington Examiner reports:
“A strong Canada that prioritizes hard power over rhetoric benefits us all,” Colby said. “Unfortunately, Canada has failed to make credible progress on its defense commitments. DoW is pausing the Permanent Joint Board on Defense to reassess how this forum benefits shared North American defense.
“We can no longer avoid the gaps between rhetoric and reality. Real powers must sustain our rhetoric with shared defense and security responsibilities,” he continued. “Delivering on shared continental defense begins by recognizing our shared geography. Only by investing in our own defense capabilities will Americans and Canadians be safe, secure, and prosperous.”
It’s unclear why Colby made the announcement on Monday, given that Carney’s Davos speech was months ago.
Minutes before the announcement, Colby posted a photograph of himself meeting with the U.S. ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, at the Pentagon, though he did not specify when the meeting took place.
In recent months, Carney’s relationship with President Donald Trump has deteriorated amid a widening series of economic and political disputes.
Carney has sharply criticized U.S. tariffs targeting Canadian steel, aluminum, automobiles, and forest products, arguing the measures violate existing trade agreements. Trump, meanwhile, has threatened sweeping new tariffs on Canadian goods amid broader disagreements involving trade relationships with China.
Tensions escalated further after Trump remarked that “Canada lives because of the United States.”
Carney publicly pushed back on the statement, arguing that Canada succeeds because of its own institutions, values, and economic strength while emphasizing Ottawa’s efforts to expand international trade partnerships and reduce dependence on the U.S. economy.
The increasingly public dispute has underscored growing strains in the historically close U.S.-Canada relationship.
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