Prime Minister Mark Carney reaffirmed Canada is a “strong NATO member” focused on Arctic security Thursday, responding to questions about the future of the transatlantic military alliance.

Carney was asked about U.S. President Donald Trump’s displeasure with NATO’s participation, or lack thereof, in its military campaign in Iran. Earlier that morning, Trump reiterated that gripe on Truth Social.

“None of these people, including our own, very disappointing, NATO, understood anything unless they have pressure placed upon them!!!” he wrote. It was the second statement on the alliance in less than 24 hours – Trump wrote the evening prior that NATO “WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN.

“REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!!” he concluded, referencing his previous musings about taking control of the island, which is part of the Realm of Denmark, a NATO ally.

n Thursday, Carney called back to a recent two per cent military spending landmark as evidence of Canada’s commitment to NATO. Though the number is not important, he added – “what’s important, first and foremost, is protecting Canadians.”

To do that, he said, Canada is working more closely with “subsets” of NATO allies, including the Nordic countries, the U.K., the Netherlands and Germany, to protect “our Arctic.”

That protection is critical to Canada, “regardless of how NATO itself evolves.”

NATO ‘failed’: Trump

The question of how the alliance will evolve has been a recurring question in Washington.

On Wednesday, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt was asked to respond to a joint statement from Carney and other NATO leaders affirming their support to reopen the Strait of Hormuz – a key channel bordering Iran which in peacetime, supports the travel of 20 per cent of the world’s crude oil shipments.