The Department of Defense on May 18 suspended U.S. participation in the Permanent Joint Board on Defense (PJBD), the bilateral continental defense forum established in 1940 under the Ogdensburg Agreement. It is the first formal pause in the board’s 86-year history.

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby announced the decision in a series of posts on X, stating the department would “reassess how this forum benefits shared North American defense.”

He linked directly to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s January address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Carney called on “middle powers” to act collectively.

“Unfortunately, Canada has failed to make credible progress on its defense commitments,” Colby said. “We can no longer avoid the gaps between rhetoric and reality.”

The suspension lands as Ottawa continues reviewing its planned purchase of 88 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighters, a C$19 billion deal signed in 2023 but frozen by Carney over U.S. supply chain concerns.

Only 16 jets have been committed. Saab has pitched the Gripen-E as an alternative with domestic assembly.

U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra warned in late January that canceling the full order would force changes to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the binational command the PJBD helped shape.

Colby posted a photo with Hoekstra at the Pentagon on the same day, noting they were “working closely” on NATO spending targets but making no mention of the F-35 review.

Great hosting @USAmbCanada Pete Hoekstra at the Pentagon recently. We’re working closely to ensure every NATO partner, including Canada, reaches the Hague Summit’s 3.5% GDP defense spending target, a vital investment for North American and Arctic defense. pic.twitter.com/1bquniMmsi

— Under Secretary of War Elbridge Colby (@USWPColby) May 18, 2026

Carney’s government announced in March that Canada had officially met the NATO 2% GDP defense spending target and committed to allocating 3.5% of GDP directly to military spending by 2035 under a broader 5% alliance framework. Responding to the suspension, Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty highlighted recent military investments, stating Canada “will work with trusted partners who are ready to work with us.”

Former Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole called the suspension “profoundly misguided” in a post on X, writing that the decision was particularly strange following the U.S. President’s recent trip to China, and reminding Washington that Canada remains a critical ally sharing the “values of liberty.”