RT reported that on February 2, President Donald Trump once again proposed that Canada should become the 51st state of the United States. Previously, Ottawa had firmly rejected this idea, while emphasizing its commitment to protecting national sovereignty.
In a post on the social network Truth Social, Mr. Trump said that if the United States did not provide “hundreds of billions of dollars” in aid, Canada would have a hard time maintaining stability. Mr. Trump also suggested that Canada would have better military protection and “much lower” taxes if it became a U.S. state.
The announcement comes after Mr Trump’s decision to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico. He acknowledged that Americans would “suffer some pain” from the measures but stressed that they were necessary for long-term benefits.
In response, Canada and Mexico have imposed similar tariffs on goods imported from the US. According to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, about $155 billion worth of US goods will be affected by the new tariffs.
These tariffs will have a wide-ranging impact, directly affecting essential goods, including wine, fruits, vegetables, clothing and footwear, Mr. Trudeau said.
Also according to RT, the proposal to make Canada the 51st state of the US has faced strong opposition from the people in the country and many world political leaders have also spoken out about this issue.
This is not the only idea that involves territorial expansion. After returning to the White House, Mr. Trump revived efforts to buy Greenland and gain control of the Panama Canal on national security grounds.
