OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney is visiting Trenton, Ontario, today to make a significant announcement regarding the Canadian Armed Forces. Carney indicated on Thursday that he intends to spend the day focusing on "building security and defence" with military personnel.

During his visit, Carney will also tour a military facility. This comes in the wake of a recent agreement among Canada and its NATO allies to increase defense spending. At their annual summit in June, NATO members committed to raising their defense spending target to five percent of their annual GDP by 2035.

The new plan includes a commitment to allocate 3.5 percent of national GDP towards essential defense needs, such as aircraft and other military equipment. Additionally, 1.5 percent will be directed towards related areas, including infrastructure and cybersecurity.

Carney noted that this NATO agreement is expected to raise Canada’s annual defense budget to approximately $150 billion. The Prime Minister's visit underscores the government's focus on enhancing national security and military readiness.