Can Trump send US military to capture Canada? Experts upset over Greenland acquisition plans
Canada is accelerating the modernization of its Arctic defense infrastructure and F-35 fighter jets, but officials emphasize that modernization is driven by global security risks, not a US invasion plan.
UNGA US President Donald Trump. (File Image)
Could Donald Trump send the US military to take over Canada and make it the country’s 51st state? Is Canada preparing for the worst? Many people, including defense hawks and security experts, think that now is the right time to rethink defense strategy and prepare for the worst-case scenario of a powerful neighboring state. Defense officials and former senior officials of the armed forces are upset with Donald Trump’s plans to buy the autonomous Danish region of Greenland. They remember that the US president asked Canada to join him as the 51st state to avoid increasing tariffs.
US-Canada Ties
The United States and Canada are long-time defense partners of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This cooperation aims to protect North American airspace and sea. But the North American country is modernizing its air force and investing in next-generation sensors, command and control systems and air defense assets.
Canada is developing its fighter jet and plans to purchase the sixth-generation stealth fighter jet, the F-35. It funds advanced technologies and surveillance systems, such as air defense and anti-drone systems. He also increased the defense budget to 2% of GDP, as requested by Donald Trump. On the other hand, Canada gives priority to the northern regions due to their strategic importance. He made a strategy of increasing his Arctic presence by developing infrastructure. It will also increase surveillance and develop a system for rapid response capabilities.
Canadian defense modernization in the Arctic
The North American country also established the Canadian Joint Forces Command (CJFC) to better coordinate joint military operations, including integrated air and missile defense and drone warfare capabilities. It has also participated in multinational exercises such as Operation Reinsurance in Europe and continues to work with NATO allies. Although these steps have been taken to increase its presence in the Arctic region, defense experts no longer ignore the possibility of preparing for a war.
Speaking to CBC, Adam Gordon, a visiting researcher at Royal Roads University’s Cascade Institute, noted growing evidence that the Trump administration’s use of military pressure against Canada poses a real risk. He cited the Trump administration’s “behavior and statements,” including the U.S. president’s calls for Canada to become the 51st state. He served as a senior advisor to Secretary of State Anita Anand and her predecessor, Melanie Joly.
USA Canada Greenland geopolitics
Other observers of U.S. foreign policy also warned that Trump’s actions elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere put Canada in the crosshairs of U.S. military action. They are upset that the White House announced plans to seize Greenland and kept military action as one of the options. “The President and his team are discussing a number of options to achieve this important foreign policy objective, and of course using the U.S. military is always an option available to the commander in chief,” the president and his team said in a statement Tuesday. he said. Options include outright purchase of the Arctic island and signing an agreement to establish a Treaty of Free Association with the territory. The COFA agreement will not be enough to make the island with a population of 57,000 part of the United States. The last option is to seize Greenland by force.
Donald Trump has expressed his desire to annex Canada as his 51st state after imposing a 25 percent tariff on Canada in 2025. He also said that once it becomes a US state, it won’t have to pay any tariffs. He later said that it was not a joke and that he was serious when he said it.
