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Time of India
28-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Donald Trump demands $61B from Canada for Golden Dome deal, offers free entry to US as 51st state instead
US President Donald Trump has suggested that Canada could join the proposed Golden Dome missile defence initiative for $61 billion—or opt to become the 51st US state and pay nothing. Trump made the proposal on Tuesday through a post on social media, saying Canada "very much wants" to be part of the system. 'They are considering the offer!' Trump wrote. The Golden Dome, unveiled last week by Trump, is designed to defend against a wide range of missile threats using space-based interception systems. While the offer to Canada has attracted attention, the financial and political implications remain uncertain. What the Golden Dome initiative involves Trump's missile defence initiative is projected to cost $175 billion. It aims to protect the US from potential threats posed by countries like Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. In his announcement from the Oval Office, Trump described the system as a 'transformative leap' in American defence strategy. The proposed system would integrate technologies across land, sea, and space, targeting everything from conventional missiles to drones and possibly even weapons launched from space. Trump claimed the Golden Dome would be capable of intercepting attacks from anywhere in the world. However, the Congressional Budget Office has issued a caution, estimating that the real cost could exceed $500 billion over 20 years due to technical uncertainties. A Republican-backed bill has proposed an initial $25 billion to begin the project, though the measure faces opposition from within the party itself. Canada's interest in the proposal Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has confirmed that discussions with the US regarding participation in the Golden Dome initiative are ongoing. However, he did not commit to any funding amount and emphasised that talks are still in the preliminary stages. Canada's defence cooperation with the US primarily operates through Norad, a joint aerospace defence program. While the two countries have a history of close collaboration, Trump's past trade tensions and occasional calls for Canadian statehood have complicated the relationship. Existing Canadian commitments to Norad In 2022, Canada announced a C$38.6 billion (about $28 billion USD) investment to upgrade Norad. This substantial allocation reflects Canada's commitment to strengthening its shared defence systems with the US, even as the Golden Dome proposal raises new questions about future cooperation and cost-sharing. As Canada evaluates Trump's latest proposal, key issues remain: whether the financial demand is justified, what role it would play in the project, and how this could impact its sovereignty and long-standing defence frameworks.
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Business Standard
28-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Trump's 'Golden Dome' offer to Canada: Pay $61 billion or become 51st state
US President Donald Trump has proposed that Canada pay $61 billion to become part of the 'Golden Dome' missile defence initiative, a system he claims would protect against threats such as ballistic and hypersonic missiles using space-based interceptors. In a social media post on Tuesday, Trump also floated an alternative: Canada could join the system at no cost — by becoming the 51st US state. '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, but will cost ZERO DOLLARS if they become our cherished 51st State,' Trump wrote. 'They are considering the offer!' Trump's $175 billion 'Golden Dome' plan Last week, Trump introduced an ambitious $175 billion missile defence initiative known as the 'Golden Dome', aimed at shielding the nation from a wide range of aerial threats, including those posed by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. 'Golden Dome will protect our homeland,' Trump said. 'Once fully constructed, Golden Dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world and even if they are launched from space.' Although the president has placed the total cost at $175 billion, the Congressional Budget Office has cautioned that expenses could exceed $500 billion over the next 20 years. The agency cited the significant technological hurdles and the experimental nature of space-based missile interception. A Republican-backed reconciliation bill has proposed an initial $25 billion to jump-start the project. However, the proposal faces challenges in Congress, with resistance emerging from both conservative and moderate factions of the Republican Party. Canada's interested, but details remain unclear Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently acknowledged that discussions are underway regarding Canada's potential involvement in the Golden Dome initiative. He declined to specify any financial commitment, noting that talks were still in their early stages, Bloomberg reported. While the US and Canada share deep military cooperation through the North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad), Trump's rhetoric has often strained diplomatic ties. In the past, he has both launched trade disputes with Canada and publicly suggested that the country should become part of the US. Canada has previously committed to a significant upgrade of Norad, announcing in 2022 a C$38.6 billion (approximately $28 billion) investment aimed at modernising the joint defence system.
Mint
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Trump says 'Golden Dome' system to cost Canada $61 billion, but it can join for free if…
President Donald Trump on Tuesday mentioned that his proposed "Golden Dome" missile defense system would cost Canada $61 billion if it wants to part of the system. But the neighbours can get access to the system for free if it becomes part of the United States, the President mentions. "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. However, Canada had earlier 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. Since the 1950s, Canada and the US have had a joint air defense system known as the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or Norad. In 2022, Canada unveiled a C$38.6 billion ($28 billion) long-term plan to contribute to a modernized Norad. The relationship between the two countries soured after Trump launched a trade war against and openly called for the nation to become the 51st US state. Now, the launch of Golden Dome' defense system seems set to add to the tensions that Trump has sparked with Canada. 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. As per the plan, it is an effort to build a shield to protect the US from threats including ballistic missiles, hypersonics and advanced cruise missiles. The technology for Trump's plan is unproven, particularly using space-based interceptors to knock down incoming ballistic missiles. Experts say the scheme faces huge technical and political challenges, and could cost far more than he has estimated to achieve its goals. (With inputs from agencies)
Straits Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Trump says Golden Dome missile system to cost Canada US$61b but it'll pay nothing if it joins the US
US President Donald Trump has openly called for Canada to become the 51st state of the US. PHOTO: REUTERS Trump says Golden Dome missile system to cost Canada US$61b but it'll pay nothing if it joins the US US President Donald Trump said Canada would need to pay US$61 billion (S$78.6 billion) to join the 'Golden Dome' system he has proposed to boost missile defence in North America with space-based interceptors. But he needled Ottawa by saying he would be willing to protect Canada for free if it opted to join the United States, his latest suggestion that the US' northern neighbour would benefit from being absorbed by America. 'I told Canada, which very much wants to be part of our fabulous Golden Dome System, that it will cost US$61 Billion Dollars if they remain a separate, but unequal, Nation, but will cost ZERO DOLLARS if they become our cherished 51st State,' Mr Trump said in a social media post on May 27. 'They are considering the offer!' Mr Trump last week detailed his ambitious effort to build a shield to protect the US from threats including ballistic missiles, hypersonics and advanced cruise missiles, saying that it would be fully operational by the end of his term. The technology for his plan is unproven, particularly using space-based interceptors to knock down incoming ballistic missiles. The president has said the project would cost US$175 billion overall and Congress is seeking US$25 billion to begin work on the endeavour. The Congressional Budget Office, though, found the US may have to spend as much as US$542 billion over 20 years to fully develop and launch the space-based interceptors. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney last week confirmed that Canada was considering joining the US on the project but declined to place a price tag on it and said their discussions were at an early stage. The US and Canada have long had a close relationship, but those ties have been tested by Mr Trump, who has launched a trade war against and openly called for Canada to become the 51st US state. Since the 1950s, Canada and the US have had a joint air defence system known as the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or Norad. In 2022, Canada unveiled a C$38.6 billion (S$36 billion) long-term plan to contribute to a modernised Norad. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hamilton Spectator
23-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Cost of Canada joining Trump's Golden Dome missile defence project still unknown
OTTAWA - If Prime Minister Mark Carney signs on to U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed 'Golden Dome' missile defence shield, he could be committing Canada to a project with a ballooning price tag, an anti-weapons proliferation groups said on Thursday. Jessica West — a senior researcher at Project Ploughshares, a Canadian peace research institute based in Waterloo, Ont. — warned during an interview that there are a lot of unanswered questions about the project. They include whether Canada's Norad modernization would count as a contribution to the project or whether the country is looking to buy into the very expensive space-based capabilities the U.S. is seeking. 'This is where I got a little bit worried about tying yourself to an incredibly expensive and not very resilient, but in fact, brittle national defence capability that has a narrow set of capabilities and responds to a narrow set of threats in a time when I think the global security environment is being reshaped rapidly,' she said. 'By the time anything is operational, we might be dealing with a very different set of priorities but have spent a whole whack of money.' The Golden Dome, a name that plays off of Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile defence system, is a system Trump tapped the Pentagon to draft up that would employ ground- and space-based weapons to detect and destroy advanced missiles mid-flight. Trump said on Tuesday that Canada is looking to be included in the project and that he will ensure Canada pays its 'fair share.' Carney said during a news conference on Wednesday that Canada might be interested in investing in Trump's initiative but he wouldn't speak to the costs of joining. Trump said the system — which he claimed will cost US$175-billion and will be completed by 2029 — would be able to intercept missiles launched from the other side of the world or from space. But the congressional budget watchdog estimates the system could cost $542 billion and take two decades just to launch the space-based missile interceptors. West cautioned the proposed missile shield could trigger an arms race in space that no one would win, 'except maybe defence contractors.' 'It clearly involves a desire to place missile interceptors, obvious weapon systems, in space — which I think is a horrific game-changer when it comes to the long-standing effort to maintain peaceful uses of outer space,' she said. 'It increases instability, particularly with China, who has been quite blunt that they don't see this as a welcome development. I think it increases incentives to develop more nuclear weapons capabilities … It's throwing gasoline on a campfire.' But former Liberal defence minister David Pratt said signing up could be a step in the right direction for Canada, even though there are a lot of unknowns at this point. Pratt said this could be an opportunity to correct the decision in 2005 by the government of Paul Martin not to join the U.S. ballistic missile defence program due to domestic political pressure. Pratt served as defence minister in Martin's first cabinet, but was defeated in the 2004 election and was no longer in cabinet when that decision was made. Pratt said the decision led to a 'disjointed' North American defence command structure that excluded Canada from decisions about countering ballistic missile threats to the country. 'This is potentially correcting a problem that's been around for 20 years as far as the disjointed command structure with Northcom being responsible for the interdiction and interception of threats,' he said. Multiple Senate committee reports have called on Canada to join a ballistic missile defence pact with the U.S. that goes beyond contributions to Norad monitoring and tracking. 'All of our NATO allies are covered and our friends in Asia, the South Koreans, the Japanese, the Australians, all have bought in to the concept of missile defence. So it's time that Canada got caught up in terms of its own defence and security,' Pratt said. 'The prime minister is doing the right thing in terms of moving forward with this and, you know, I hope it will result in something tangible, because it's in the interest of Canada.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2025.
