US President Donald Trump on Tuesday offered Canada free entry into the $175 billion 'Golden Dome' missile defense system, provided it becomes the 51st US state. In a post on Truth Social, he also claimed that without statehood, Canada's participation in the shield would come at a cost of $61 billion. The President also claimed that Canada is “considering the offer.”

“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. They are considering the offer!,” Trump shared on his Truth Social account.

Trump unveiled the $175-billion project last week as an ambitious initiative aimed at countering threats from China and Russia, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had expressed interest in joining the system.

However, Ottawa has yet to respond to Trump’s statements.

On May 6, in Carney’s first meeting with the US President earlier this month, he made it clear that sovereignty is "not for sale." Trump had reiterated his proposal to make Canada a part of the United States. "It would really be a wonderful marriage," Trump said in the presence of reporters.

But Carney was quick to turn down his offer. "It's not for sale, it won't be for sale - ever."

Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada and his public call for the country to become the 51st US state have chilled bilateral relations. The unveiling of the 'Golden Dome' defense system now appears poised to further strain relations already tense under Trump’s rhetoric.

Donald Trump has claimed that the Golden Dome missile defense shield, designed to counter missile threats, would be operational by 2029.