 "US President Donald Trump meets with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 6, 2025. AFP Photo")
US President Donald Trump has once again floated the idea of Canada becoming the 51st state of the country, but this time, he has something to offer in return for the acquisition. The president has said Canada will have free access to the “Golden Dome” missile defence system if it becomes the 51st state of the US.
“I told Canada, which very much wants to be part of our fabulous Golden Dome System, that it will cost $61 Billion Dollars if they remain a separate, but unequal, Nation,” Trump posted on his Truth Social network.
“But (it) will cost ZERO DOLLARS if they become our cherished 51st State. They are considering the offer!” he added.
While Canada has shown interest in joining the missile system, it has rejected any loss of sovereignty in exchange for it. There has been no immediate response from Ottawa over Trump’s claim.
What is the Golden Dome?
Trump announced plans for the “Golden Dome” system a week ago, saying it would eventually cost around $175 billion and would be operational by the end of his term in 2029.
The concept includes space-based missiles that would launch from satellites in orbit to intercept conventional and nuclear missiles launched from Earth.
“I think it’s opening a Pandora’s box,” said Victoria Samson, director of space security and stability at the Secure World Foundation think tank in Washington, referring to deploying missiles in space. “We haven’t truly thought about the long-term consequences for doing so,” she added.
Does Canada want it?
At the time of unveiling the plans for creating the missile system, Trump said that Canada had expressed its willingness to join, while Prime Minister Mark Carney then confirmed that his country had held “high-level” talks on the issue.
NATO members Canada and the United States are partners in continental defence through the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD).
But the scheme now seems set to add to the tensions that Trump has sparked with Canada.
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More ShortsWith inputs from agencies