A defense shield will cost its northern neighbor $61 billion, according to the president of the United States, if it does not become the 51st state. In his grandiose “Golden Dome” missile defense shield, Donald Trump has stated that it would cost Canada $61 billion to be a member of it. However, he has also stated that it would be free if Ottawa gave up its sovereignty in order to become the 51st state of the United States.
“I told Canada, which very much wants to be a part of our fabulous Golden Dome System, that it will cost $61 billion dollars if they remain a separate, but unequal, Nation, but it will cost ZERO DOLLARS if they become our cherished 51st State,” the President of the United States wrote on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday. “I told them because I want them to be a part of our Golden Dome System.” “They are taking the offer into consideration!”
According to a statement made by a spokeswoman for the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, “The Prime Minister has made it abundantly clear at every opportunity, including in his conversations with President Trump, that Canada is an independent, sovereign nation, and it will continue to be one.”
A defense pact between the United States of America and Canada, known as the North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad), already exists. This agreement involves the detection of ballistic missile attacks. As the Arctic Circle becomes the new frontline in a geopolitical conflict with Russia and China, the duties that Canada has in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Norad) have come under increased scrutiny.
In addition, the spokeswoman for Carney stated that the prime minister was “having wide-ranging and constructive discussions” with his counterparts in the United States. These discussions “include strengthening Norad and related initiatives such as the Golden Dome.”
Carney stated to the media the previous week that his nation’s participation in the Golden Dome “has been discussed at a high level,” but he did not “put a price tag” on the country’s presence in the event. In addition, he stated, “I’m not sure that one negotiates on this.” Given that an intercontinental ballistic missile fired from Russia, which is one of the threats that the shield would be meant to intercept, would fly across northern Canada on its approach to the United States, it is quite likely that Canada would be required to participate in Golden Dome in some capacity.
According to Richard Shimooka, a defense specialist and senior scholar at The Macdonald-Laurier Institute, a think tank based in Ottawa, “It seems like a negotiating tactic, there is no way Canada is going to fork over $61 billion,” Shimooka said.
“The notion is not just high-risk from a technical standpoint, but it is also lacking in specifics. According to him, “this system is comparable to a moonshot, with very shaky political and financial support within the United States.” This system is associated with a great deal of danger.
The previous week, Trump asserted that the project would cost $175 billion, and he promised to make it “operational” by the time his term as president comes to a conclusion. The shield would protect against sophisticated threats like as hypersonic missiles, advanced cruise missiles, and intercontinental ballistic missiles that were launched by opponents of the United States. It would do this by employing interceptors launched into space.
The Golden Dome, on the other hand, comes up against significant challenges in terms of its development because the space-based interceptor network that is being envisioned requires technology that does not yet exist. In addition, the Congressional Budget Office, which is non-partisan, predicted that the cost of building and launching space-based interceptors may reach up to $542 billion throughout the course of twenty years.
At a time when tensions with the United States and President Trump are at an all-time high, King Charles of Canada opened the Canadian parliament earlier on Tuesday as a demonstration of his support for the “freedom” of the country. The president has made numerous efforts throughout his second term to incorporate Canada into the United States of America.
In the event that we so desire, we are aware of the fact that we have the capability to finish the Golden Dome through the use of partnerships and investments. While the “world faces unprecedented challenges, generating uncertainties across the continents with regards to peace and stability,” King Charles of Canada gave a speech in which he detailed the increased spending on defense that Canada has been doing.
During the month of March, Canada and Australia reached an agreement to create a cutting-edge radar system for the Arctic region. The system would be capable of providing early warning coverage from the border between the United States and Canada all the way up to the Arctic.
The long-range surveillance and threat tracking capabilities of the radar system would identify and prevent attacks across the North, according to Carney, who made the announcement when the purchase was made. “The radar system is a key component of Canada’s Norad modernization plan,” Carney said.
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