Toronto - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday that his administration is talking to the United States about joining Donald Trump's future Golden Dome missile defense program.

Multi-layered, $175 billion system will include our weapons in space for the first time. Trump said the day before, he hoped the system would be fully operational by the end of 2029.

"Is this a good idea for Canada? Yes, it's better to provide protection for Canadians," Carney said.

Carney confirmed that he had negotiated with Trump and said he had discussed with senior officials. Trump said the Canadian government has contacted his administration and expressed his desire to join the program and he will work with Ottawa to ensure it contributes its "equal share."

The Golden Dome is envisioned to include the basic and space capabilities of detecting and stopping missiles in all four main stages of a potential attack: detecting and destroying them before launch, intercepting them at the earliest stages of flight, stopping them in the middle of the air, or stopping them within the last few minutes of their descending target.

“This is something we are looking for and something we are discussing at a high level,” Carney said. "But it's not that I'm not sure anyone will negotiate. These are military decisions made in this case and we'll evaluate them accordingly."

Carney warned that Canada faces a potential missile threat in a "non-distant future" that could come from space.

"Will Canada do it alone or with the United States? Because with the golden dome, there will be discussions that may have an impact on Canada, but Canada will not be part of it."

The Pentagon has warned for years that the latest missiles developed by China and Russia are so advanced that updated countermeasures are needed. Golden Dome’s satellites and interceptors (whose most of the program’s cost) will focus on stopping those advanced missiles in or in the middle.

Canada and the United States are partners of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, a merged organization that provides common airspace defense in both countries.

The newly elected Carney has spent many months spending most of the time over the past few months, he said the old relationship with the United States has ended based on a steady increase in integration. Trump said Canada should be the 51st state, which angered Canadians.

"We work together when necessary, but not necessarily," Carney said.