Canada's participation in the "Golden Dome" system will cost $61 billion. This was announced by US President Donald Trump in a Truth Social post on Tuesday.
The missile shield will cost a lot unless Canada agrees to join the US as a state, he added.
"I have told Canada, who very much wants to be part of our great Golden Dome system, that it will cost $61 billion if they remain a separate but unequal nation, but it will cost ZERO DOLLARS if they become our beloved 51st state," he wrote.
In a statement to CTV News, the Prime Minister's office wrote: "The Prime Minister has been clear at every opportunity, including in his conversations with President Trump, that Canada is an independent, sovereign nation and will remain so.".
The President's post came hours after King Charles III delivered his speech from the throne to open Parliament.
In that speech, the king reaffirmed Canada's sovereignty, saying, "The true north is truly strong and free."
He also spoke about Canada's relationship with the United States, saying the two "have begun to define a new economic and security relationship that will deliver transformational benefits to both sovereign nations."
Trump unveiled the defense system at a press conference last week, saying it would be able to intercept missiles launched from the other side of the world or from space, and would have a price tag of $175 billion.
"Canada called us and they want to be a part of this," Trump said at the time. "We're talking to them about pricing." They know a lot about it.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed interest in investing in the Golden Dome, but did not specify a price.
“We recognize that we have the ability, if we choose, to complete the Golden Dome with investment and partnerships,” he said at a news conference the day after Trump’s announcement. “It’s something we’re looking at and something that’s been discussed at a high level, but I’m not sure anyone is negotiating on that. These are military decisions that are made in that context and we’ll assess it accordingly.”
The Golden Dome project of the United States undermines the foundations of strategic stability, as it involves the creation of a global missile defense system, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
North Korea has described the project as a threat to the security of nuclear states and warned that it turns space into a potential field for nuclear war. According to the Institute of American Affairs at the North Korean Foreign Ministry, "Golden Dome" is not a defensive tool, but part of the US offensive arsenal for preemptive strikes against sovereign states.