WASHINGTON (Dispatches) – U.S. President Donald Trump says he has told Canada it will have to pay $61 billion to be part of his proposed Gold Dome missile defense system “if they remain a separate, but unequal, Nation”.
In a post on TruthSocial, Trump claimed Canada “very much wants to be part of our fabulous Golden Dome System” and would gain free access if it joins with the U.S.
Participating in the proposed defense system would cost Canada “ZERO DOLLARS if they become our cherished 51st State”, Trump said, adding, “They are considering the offer!”
Trump’s post came just hours after Canada’s parliament hosted the UK’s King Charles III for a rare royal speech in which the monarch emphasized Canada’s sovereignty in “dangerous and uncertain” times, and amid Trump’s exhortations for the country to become part of the U.S.
Following the king’s speech, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told Canadian Public broadcaster CBC that he hopes Canada will join ReArm Europe by July 1, in an effort to reduce dependence on the U.S. for weapons.
 In total, Trump has claimed the Golden Dome system will cost some $175 billion and would be completed by the end of his current term in 2029, although defense industry experts have questioned the feasibility of this timeline and budget.
The Golden Dome is modeled after Israel’s Iron Dome, which also receives significant funding from the U.S., including $500 million per year for its upkeep.
It is unclear how Trump would scale up the Iron Dome to cover the entire U.S., since Israeli occupied territory is only about the size of New Jersey, one of the smaller states in the U.S.
China, North Korea and Russia have all criticized Trump’s plan to put weapons in space, which the U.S. president described in detail for the first time last week.
In Ottawa, King Charles III said Canada is facing unprecedented challenges in a world that’s never been more dangerous as he opened the Canadian parliament on Tuesday with a speech in the face of annexation threats by Trump.
“We must face reality: since the Second World War, our world has never been more dangerous and unstable. Canada is facing challenges that, in our lifetimes, are unprecedented,” Charles said in
 French, one of Canada’s official languages.
The visit to Canada was Charles’ first as king and his 20th overall.
Canadians are largely indifferent to the monarchy, but Carney has been eager to show the differences between Canada and the United States.
After the United States gained independence from Britain, Canada remained a colony until 1867, and afterward continued as a constitutional monarchy with a British-style parliamentary system.
Carney won the job of prime minister by promising to confront the increased aggression shown by Trump and made his first official trip to London and Paris, the capital cities of Canada’s two founding nations.
Carney is eager to diversify trade, and the king said Canada can build new alliances. More than 75% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S., and Trump has threatened sweeping tariffs on Canadian products.
Just a few days ago the new U.S. ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, said that sending messages to the U.S. isn’t necessary. He said Canadians should move on from the 51st state talk, telling the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. that if there’s a message to be sent, there are easier ways — such as calling him or Trump.
The king also said Canada would look to the European Union to purchase military equipment by joining the “REARM Europe” plan — a major defense procurement project to ramp up arms production in Europe.
The speech made no mention of buying from the U.S.