Canada announces $24B Arctic military build-up after Trump's ‘51st state' remark

Canada has announced plans to build its own billion-dollar military bases in the Arctic region after threats by the U.S. President Donald Trump to make Canada the 51st state of the United States (U.S.).

The North American country owns a significant portion of the Arctic landmass and asserts sovereignty over adjacent waters.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that his government would spend around $24 billion to build military bases in Yellowknife, Inuvik, Iqaluit and Goose Bay, in an apparent message to the U.S. president that Canada can take care of its own security.

In a statement on Thursday, March 12, Carney said: “In this new era, we cannot rely on other nations for our security and prosperity. With this plan, we are taking control of our future.”

Seemingly referencing Trump’s statement at January’s World Economic Forum, where he said, “Canada lives because of the United States,” Carney added: “We will no longer rely on others to defend our Arctic security or fuel our economy. We are taking full responsibility for defending our sovereignty.”

“The development comes amid rising geopolitical competition in the Arctic and renewed U.S. interest in the region. He said the U.S. needs the Arctic for security against Russia and China.

For the unversed, Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark.

Experts believe the building of military bases in the “too vast, cold and sparsely populated” Arctic territory sends a message to President Trump that Ottawa no longer relies on the U.S. for its security.

Earlier, when President Trump called for Canada to become the 51st state of the U.S., Carney pushed back, saying, “This is our country. This is our future. The choice is ours.”