SECRETARY OF WAR PETE HEGSETH: Well, Minister McGuinty, very good to see you. Great to see your team, thank you all for being here. Welcome to the Pentagon. Welcome to the War Department where we're proud to host you here today. Our great nations have served together in many wars, whether it was the Western Front or the beaches of Normandy.
I had a chance to serve with some great Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan as well – a long tradition. And today, our warfighters continue that – serving together through joint exercises, defending the homeland. Really the only binational command of its kind, NORAD, and the US-Canada cooperation through there.
There's a lot we need to do to modernize, but there's a lot of important work that exists there for our continental defense. And as you know, President Trump has recognized a lot of the threats we've faced, in our — in our hemisphere. And that's why developing the Golden Dome for America is important for us and a priority on the defense of the homeland.
The threats to North America require a strong US-Canada defense relationship. There's no doubt. And I know Canada has committed at the NATO Hague Summit to increasing defense spending to five percent of GDP by 2035, which is incredible to see. A very strong step. One of our core pillars is — it's — you know, we're reestablishing the warrior ethos and deterrence, but it's rebuilding our military.
I know you're doing the same. And I think it's incredibly important for the freedom of the Western world; and NATO, Canada delivering on those NATO commitments is a big deal. So, thank you for coming. I look forward to our conversation and I appreciate having you here. Thank you.
MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENCE DAVID MCGUINTY: It's a great honor to be here. Can I call you Pete?
SECRETARY OF WAR PETE HEGSETH: Of course.
MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENCE DAVID MCGUINTY: We call each other Pete and David in the — in the NATO meetings, so.
Look, it's a great honor. Thank you for welcoming me for my first visit ever to Washington D.C. as the Minister of National Defence. It's important, I think, for all of us to remember that the United States is Canada's close — closest single ally. It's our most important defense partner. As you mentioned, for generations, our women and men in uniform have
stood together ready to take on any threat and to defend our shared homeland. First and second World Wars, the Cold War, Korea, the Balkans, the Middle East and Afghanistan, amongst others. I want to begin by saying we know the heavy burden the United States has — has carried over the decades the scale, the strength, the resolve of the military leadership here.
Fighting on front lines across the world and through every generation – it's unmatched. We see it. And in Canada, we actually deeply respect it. Our two countries today, I think, Secretary, face serious evolving threats, aggressive state actors, global instability, cyber-attacks, the harsh impacts of natural security challenges like climate change.
But we get it – this is a transformative moment and Canada is stepping up. We've made some very, very big decisions about acting boldly, moving fast. We're sharpening our edge. And we're ready to take — take the fight to those who threaten our way of life. In June, Prime Minister Carney announced an additional $9.3 billion in defense investments, bringing Canada to two percent of GDP, a full five years ahead of schedule.
It's not just spending for us anymore. It's a game changer. These investments are building combat ready forces, recruiting and retaining the best, modernizing critical infrastructure on 33 bases, upgrading our cyber, our digital defenses, sharpening our ability to fight shoulder to shoulder with folks like you.
That includes a major policy shift on integrated air and missile defense, critical capability, we're eager to move forward with, with you and your — your team, working closely and aggressively with you as partners.
We're also strengthening, you should know our defense industrial base. We're launching a major new defense industrial strategy for the country. Cutting through red tape to deliver faster, improving resilience, securing access to vital resources like critical minerals. Turns out we have lots of those.
These hard power capabilities are going to ensure we're ready to strike back and defend whenever and wherever we're needed. So, as we ramp up to meet our NATO commitments, we're stepping up in the Euro-Atlantic, the Indo-Pacific regions. But make no mistake, defending North America remains our top priority.
That starts in the Arctic – our shared front line. Canada's locked in to protect the North, its people, its environment, and its strategic advantage. It's where our sovereignty, our national security and our partnership with the U.S. comes together strongest. So, from NORAD modernization to Arctic surveillance and infrastructure, we're taking major and fast bold decisive action to shore up our collective defense.
So, thank you again for having us. Thank you again for what I hope is the first of many conversations. It's just very lovely to be here. A warm welcome, very gracious. I look forward to our discussions today and let's keep moving together.
SECRETARY OF WAR PETE HEGSETH: Same.
MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENCE DAVID MCGUINTY: Thank you.
SECRETARY OF WAR PETE HEGSETH: Thank you very much. Appreciate it.