A new diplomatic and military dispute has emerged between Canada and the United States after Washington announced it is pausing a historic bilateral defence forum that has existed for more than eight decades.
Elbridge Colby said the Pentagon is suspending participation in the Permanent Joint Board on Defense, claiming Canada has “failed to make credible progress” on its defence commitments. The board, created in 1940 under the Ogdensburg Agreement, has long served as a key advisory platform for military and security co-operation between the two countries.
In a strongly worded social media post, Colby argued that the United States could no longer ignore the “gap between rhetoric and reality” regarding Canadian defence efforts. His remarks included criticism linked to a speech delivered earlier this year by Prime Minister Mark Carney at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Carney spoke about a changing global order.
The announcement has surprised many observers because Canada recently increased military spending significantly, surpassing NATO’s two-per-cent-of-GDP defence spending target for the first time in decades. Ottawa spent more than $63 billion on national defence in 2025, which Carney described as the largest annual defence investment increase in generations.
Political and defence experts in Canada have reacted sharply. Former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole called the American move “profoundly misguided,” stressing that Canada remains one of America’s closest democratic allies.
Experts also warned that the decision could affect future defence procurement projects, including Canada’s planned purchase of F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin. The Liberal government has been reviewing the fighter jet contract amid ongoing debate over costs and strategic dependence on the United States.
Professor Fen Osler Hampson of Carleton University described the U.S. move as “ominous,” warning that it could weaken North American security co-operation at a time of growing global instability.
The decision comes amid heightened international tensions related to the Middle East conflict and growing concerns over global energy security following disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz.
The Permanent Joint Board on Defense has historically played a major role in shaping continental security policy, including co-operation on NORAD modernization and cross-border military planning. Analysts say pausing the forum sends a strong political message and may signal broader strains in the Canada-U.S. relationship under the Trump administration.