Donald Trump does it again! US President on Tuesday said that the neighbouring Country and NORAD & NATO ally, Canada, could join the “Golden Dome” missile defense shield for free — but only if it becomes part of the US.
Otherwise, it would cost Canada $61 billion to be part of the system, said Trump, who has repeatedly called for the United States’ northern neighbor to become the 51st state.
Canada has expressed interest in joining the missile system — plans for which Trump unveiled last week to defend against a wide array of enemy weapons — but has firmly rejected any loss of sovereignty.
“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!”
There was no immediate response from Canada to Trump’s claims.
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.
Experts say the scheme faces huge technical and political challenges, and could cost far more than he has estimated to achieve its goals.
Trump also said at the time that Canada was interested in joining the missile system. Canadian 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 defense through the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). However, the scheme now appears poised to exacerbate the tensions that Trump has sparked with Canada.
Carney politely but firmly dismissed Trump’s calls for Canada to become part of the United States when he visited the White House earlier this month, saying his country was “never for sale.”
The Canadian premier and Trump did, however, appear to smooth over some of the strains caused by the tariffs that the US president has imposed on Ottawa.
Canada Wants Golden Dome Protection
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump earlier said, “Canada has called us and they want to be a part of it, so we’ll be talking to them.” “They want to have protection also. So, as usual, we help Canada do the best we can,” he added.
Trump said that while it “automatically” makes sense to include Canada in the new defense system, Canada will have to pay its fair share.
Shortly after Trump made this statement, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office confirmed that the Canadian administration was in talks with the United States about negotiating a new security and economic relationship between the two nations, which “naturally includes strengthening NORAD and related initiatives such as the Golden Dome.”
“Canadians gave the Prime Minister a strong mandate to negotiate a comprehensive new security and economic relationship with the United States,” a spokesperson for the office told Canadian publication Global News. “To that end, the Prime Minister and his ministers are having wide-ranging and constructive discussions with their American counterparts. These discussions naturally include strengthening NORAD and related initiatives such as the Golden Dome.”
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is a joint US-Canadian military organization responsible for aerospace warning, aerospace control, and maritime warning for North America. Established in 1958, it monitors and defends North American airspace against threats such as missiles, aircraft, and space-based objects.
However, despite collaborating on air defense, Canada is not a part of the US Northern Command’s ballistic missile defense system. This means that even though Canada collaborates with NORAD to monitor and identify missile threats, the ability to shoot down a ballistic missile is entirely up to the United States.
The administration of former Prime Minister Paul Martin announced in 2005 that his country would not join the US system, a decision that has been consistently criticised in both countries. In fact, the subsequent Canadian government has internally been urged to reconsider its decision in recent years. Now, with the Liberal Canadian government focused on bolstering air defense, the Golden Dome appears like the most natural choice.
Despite this, the decision to opt into the Golden Dome is interesting as it comes amid prevailing tensions between the two allies. Canada was earlier miffed by Donald Trump’s repeated statements about making it the 51st state of the United States of America, seen as a direct attack on Canadian sovereignty. In November 2024, Trump went so far as to call the former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau the “governor of the 51st state.”
Trump recently reiterated this in a May 7, 2025, meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney, prompting Carney to reject the idea firmly, stating, “Canada is not for sale.”
The two states have also been locked in a tariff battle. Trump initially announced a 25% tariff on Canadian goods, citing concerns over border security, fentanyl trafficking, and migration. Canada retaliated by imposing 25% counter-tariffs on $30 billion worth of US goods. It has since paused some of these tariffs, but the issue is far from resolved.
Amid rising tensions, Canada said it was reexamining its ties with the United States, which included reconsidering the purchase of F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets.
Canada ordered 88 fifth-generation F-35A fighters from the US in 2023. The first tranche of 16 jets, already paid for, is scheduled to arrive in the country early next year. However, amid prevailing mistrust, it said it is considering the possibility of canceling the rest of the purchase and exploring alternatives in Europe instead.
Against that backdrop, Canada’s talks with the US on participating in the Golden Dome missile shield sparked interest.
The Canadian admission comes days after Mark Carney and US Vice President JD Vance recently met in Rome. Following the meeting, Carney wrote on X: “We spoke about building a new economic and security relationship between Canada and the United States — one that addresses immediate trade pressures, strengthens our defence cooperation, and secures our shared border. We’re strongest when we work together.”
Whether it means the end of the diplomatic tussle remains to be seen.
- Contact us at editor (at) eurasiantimes.com
- With inputs from AFP
- Follow EurAsian Times on Google News
