TORONTO, ONT – Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Wednesday that his government is engaging in discussions with the United States about participating in President Donald Trump’s anticipated Golden Dome missile defense initiative.
This extensive, $175 billion program is designed to deploy U.S. weapons into space for the first time. Trump mentioned the day before that he anticipates the system will be fully operational by the conclusion of his presidency in 2029.
“Is it a good idea for Canada? Yes, it is a good to have protections in place for Canadians,” Carney said.
Carney confirmed his conversations with Trump regarding the matter and noted ongoing meetings with senior officials. Trump stated that the Canadian government had reached out to express interest in joining the project and mentioned he would collaborate with Ottawa to ensure they contribute an appropriate portion of the costs.
Golden Dome is envisioned to include ground- and space-based capabilities to detect and stop missiles at all four major stages of a potential attack: detecting and destroying them before a launch, intercepting them in their earliest stage of flight, stopping them midcourse in the air, or halting them in the final minutes as they descend toward a target.
“It’s something that we are looking at and something that has been discussed at a high level.” Carney said. “But not I’m not sure one negotiates on this. These are military decisions that have been taken in that context, and we will evaluate it accordingly.”
Carney warned that Canada faces potential missiles threats in the “not-too-distant future” that could come from space.
“Is Canada going to be doing this alone or with the United States? Because with a Golden Dome, there will be discussions that could have an impact on Canada, but Canada wouldn’t be a part of them,” Carney said.
The Pentagon has warned for years that the newest missiles developed by China and Russia are so advanced that updated countermeasures are necessary. Golden Dome’s added satellites and interceptors — where the bulk of the program’s cost is — would be focused on stopping those advanced missiles early on or in the middle of their flight.
Canada and the U.S. are partners in the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the combined organization that provides shared defense of airspace over the two nations.
The newly elected Carney spent much spent much of the last few months saying the old relationship with the U.S. based on steadily increasing integration is over. Trump has infuriated Canadians by saying Canada should be the 51st state.
“We cooperate if necessary but not necessarily cooperate,” Carney said.
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