By Li Xin, Vision Times
The Trump administration has formally suspended U.S. participation in the Permanent Joint Board on Defence (PJBD), a historic bilateral body that has guided North American defense cooperation between the United States and Canada for more than eight decades.
The announcement was made May 18 by U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, who accused Canada of failing to fulfill its defense spending commitments.
The Pentagon’s decision immediately triggered concern among analysts and former officials on both sides of the border, with critics warning the move could disrupt cooperation on NORAD modernization, Arctic defense coordination, and other key strategic initiatives.
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Pentagon cites commitment failures
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In a series of posts on X, Colby defended the suspension by arguing that Canada’s public statements on global security had not been matched by concrete military commitments. “We can no longer avoid the gaps between rhetoric and reality,” Colby wrote, “Real powers must sustain our rhetoric with shared defense and security responsibilities.”
He attached a link to a January speech delivered by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Carney discussed what he described as the breakdown of the global order but notably avoided mentioning U.S. President Donald Trump by name.
A strong Canada that prioritizes hard power over rhetoric benefits us all,” Colby added, “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.”
The decision comes amid increasingly strained relations between Trump and Carney, whose government has sought to position Canada as part of a broader international coalition balancing against growing American influence.
A cornerstone of defense cooperation since WWI
The Permanent Joint Board on Defence was established on Aug. 17, 1940, under the Ogdensburg Agreement signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King in Ogdensburg, New York.
The body played a major advisory role during World War II and the Cold War, helping shape continental defense policy and later contributing to the creation of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, better known as NORAD. The board also became a central mechanism for integrating Canadian defense planning with American military command structures.
According to the latest publicly available meeting records, the committee last met in Ottawa in November 2024. Since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, no new meetings have been held.
Critics call the move ‘provocative’ and damaging
The suspension has drawn criticism from security experts and former officials who argue the decision weakens a long-standing alliance at a critical geopolitical moment.
Imran Bayoumi, now affiliated with the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, told CBC News that suspending the defense board sends the wrong signal to both Ottawa and Washington’s allies. “Cancelling it is a needless provocation that sends the wrong message to Ottawa and other U.S. allies,” Bayoumi said.
Former Canadian diplomat Artur Wilczynski also criticized the move on X, warning that the lack of joint coordination would ultimately harm American interests as well. He noted that the “lack of joint coordination will affect the US too. Bizarre decision by the Trump regime.”
Meanwhile, former Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole called the timing particularly unusual, noting that the announcement came shortly after Trump’s high-profile visit to China.
F-35 negotiations now uncertain
Former Liberal MP John McKay, who co-chaired the Canadian side of the defense board during its last meeting in 2024, warned that the suspension could complicate NORAD modernization and broader bilateral defense coordination. “I’m disappointed,” McKay told CBC News. “I think it’s short-sighted. I think it’s foolish, but I’m not surprised.”
McKay further warned that the decision could complicate Canada’s planned CA$38 billion NORAD modernization program, which depends heavily on close bilateral coordination. “If you’re not communicating with your principal partner on NORAD modernization, that becomes extremely difficult,” he said.
He also suggested the move may be connected to Canada’s ongoing reassessment of its planned purchase of 88 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets.
After Trump imposed new tariffs on Canada, Ottawa signaled it was reviewing whether to proceed with the full procurement package, in a move some analysts viewed as leverage in broader negotiations with Washington.
Ottawa claps back
Canadian officials have rejected accusations that Ottawa is neglecting defense spending, pointing to major increases in military investment over the past year.
In March 2026, both the Canadian government and NATO confirmed that Canada had reached the alliance’s benchmark of spending roughly 2 percent of GDP on defense for the first time in decades, with total defense expenditures surpassing CA$62 billion for the 2025–26 fiscal year.
Defense Minister David McGuinty pointed to recent investments in Arctic radar systems, fighter aircraft procurement, and under-ice submarine capabilities as evidence of Canada’s growing military commitments.
Analysts noted that Washington’s continued criticism appears to conflict with the documented reality that Canada has accelerated its NATO spending timeline by nearly eight years compared with previous projections. But for now, the Pentagon has declined to provide further explanation beyond Colby’s public statements regarding the issue.
