US President Donald Trump on Friday criticised Canada for rejecting his proposed “Golden Dome” missile defence challenge over Greenland, blasting Ottawa on Fact Social for opposing a plan he stated would assist defend Canada. In his submit, Trump additionally warned that Beijing might “eat them up” inside a 12 months because the nation strikes nearer to China as an alternative of counting on US-backed safety.
“Canada is towards The Golden Dome being constructed over Greenland, though The Golden Dome would defend Canada,” Trump wrote. “As a substitute, they voted in favor of doing enterprise with China, who will ‘eat them up’ inside the first 12 months!”
The submit marked the newest escalation in Trump’s more and more private critique of America’s northern neighbour, mixing safety coverage, commerce rivalries and long-running grievances right into a single broadside.
Trump’s remarks got here days after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Beijing to revive financial ties with China, Canada’s second-largest buying and selling associate after the USA. The journey yielded a deal slicing tariffs on some Canadian agricultural merchandise and setting quotas for Chinese language electrical automobiles coming into Canada. Requested in regards to the renewed engagement, Trump signaled his approval. “It’s OK. That’s what he needs to be doing,” he stated.
On the World Financial Discussion board in Davos, Trump doubled down, arguing that the proposed missile defence system would naturally lengthen safety to Canada.
“We’re constructing a Golden Dome that’s going to, simply by its very nature, be defending Canada,” Trump instructed attendees. “Canada will get loads of freebies from us, by the way in which. They need to be grateful additionally.”
He went additional, suggesting Canada’s safety relies upon completely on Washington. “Canada lives due to the USA. Do not forget that, Mark, the subsequent time you make your statements,” Trump stated, referring to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Carney responded immediately on Thursday, rejecting Trump’s declare that Canada survives due to US help.
“Canada doesn’t stay due to the USA. Canada thrives as a result of we’re Canadian,” Carney stated after coming back from Davos. Whereas praising the long-standing partnership between the 2 nations, he harassed Canadian sovereignty. “We’re masters in our house. That is our personal nation. It’s our future. The selection is as much as us.”
In Davos, Carney had warned towards coercion by nice powers towards smaller nations, with out naming Trump. Again in Canada, he stated the nation might nonetheless present that “one other manner is feasible” in an period of rising authoritarianism.
The trade grew sharper after Trump introduced he was withdrawing an invite for Carney to affix what he referred to as his “Board of Peace,” posting a formal-sounding letter on social media.
Trump has repeatedly floated the concept of Canada changing into the 51st US state and lately shared an altered map depicting Canada, Greenland, Venezuela and Cuba as a part of US territory.
He has insisted Canada needs to take part within the Golden Dome system, which he says needs to be absolutely operational earlier than the top of his time period in 2029.
Nonetheless, In Might, Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, likened Trump’s imaginative and prescient of the Golden Dome to a “safety racket.”
The Golden Dome proposal envisions an enormous, US-controlled missile defence protect utilizing space-based sensors, interceptors and different superior applied sciences. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated Greenland is “strategically essential” to the plan and that Canada had been invited to take part — “in the event that they need to pay their share,” he instructed CNBC.
The Trump administration has estimated the system’s value at about $175 billion. The Congressional Price range Workplace warned in a Might report that space-based interceptors alone might value between $161 billion and $542 billion over 20 years.
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