Canada’s prime minister argued US aggression and protectionism had triggered a “rupture” in the global order, requiring middle powers such as his nation to unite — remarks in Davos likely to contrast with an address from the American leader later today.
Mark Carney’s speech did not explicitly mention US President Donald Trump but clearly focused on him, warning against “using economic integration as weapons, tariffs as leverage, financial infrastructure as coercion, supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited.” The old order as we once knew it is gone, and “we should not mourn it. Nostalgia is not a strategy,” Carney said. Instead, the Canadian leader argued that middle powers should join forces and act together, “because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.”
Carney reminded the room that his country was among the first to realize historic and geographic alliances were no longer synonymous with security, as Trump’s early threats were often directed at Canada and his desire to make it the 51st state.
Carney’s warnings were largely echoed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who cautioned that the US was seeking to “subordinate Europe” through competition. Trump appears unfazed, however: Before heading to Davos, he refused to rule out using military force to seize Greenland.