All articles tagged with #middle powers
Carney’s Davos warning that middle powers must band together to counter hegemonic shifts has evolved into a practical diplomacy playbook, shaping Europe, Asia, and Australia’s approach ahead of the G7 summit as countries seek diversified alliances beyond the U.S.; while no formal middle-power bloc has formed, his efforts are elevating Canada on the world stage and influencing talks on trade, energy, and security.
At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Turkey and other middle powers argued that the United States remains essential but unpredictable, pushing efforts to manage regional issues through regional coalitions and mediation rather than waiting for Washington. The Iran war and broader global disruption have spurred calls to diversify alliances and position Turkey as a regional mediator, expanding ties with partners like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan and championing a world bigger than five.
Amid U.S. volatility, Canada’s Mark Carney calls for diversifying trade and reducing dependence on the United States by expanding partnerships with Asia, Latin America, and other middle powers, including a China deal; Canada has begun signing new deals and aims to double non-U.S. trade by the end of the decade, effectively forming a united front among middle powers to cope with a changing global order.
The piece argues that the end of Pax Americana, driven by Trump-era retrenchment, does not necessarily make the world less safe. While U.S. leadership and guarantees are fading, wealthier allies in Europe and Asia could shoulder greater responsibility, sustain open trade, and reinforce multilateral institutions, potentially stabilizing a more multipolar international order. The outcome remains uncertain—war and disorder are possible—but there is a silver lining: middle powers may reclaim influence and keep global governance open if they coordinate effectively.
Most EU states declined or hesitated to join Trump's 'Board of Peace' for Gaza reconstruction, with Hungary and Bulgaria among the few EU participants; France refused and Denmark wasn't invited. The charter broadens the mandate beyond Gaza, raising concerns it could bypass the UN and reshape multilateralism by corralling middle powers into a US-led, funded club. Critics question governance and transparency, including Jared Kushner's role, while China and the UN emphasise that only the UN Security Council has legitimate authority over peace and security.
At Davos, European leaders unite to push back against Trump’s Greenland bid, with Canada’s Mark Carney urging middle powers to act together to avoid being sidelined, signaling a potential realignment that could test and reshape further U.S.–Europe relations and NATO dynamics.
As debates about a 'rules-based' order give way to great-power realignments, Allan Little argues that middle powers must unite to curb unilateral US power and preserve shared norms, or risk being relegated to the margins; the piece traces US interventions from the Monroe Doctrine era to current tensions over NATO, Greenland, and global leadership, highlights Mark Carney’s call for middle-power cohesion at Davos, and concludes democracy and the rule of law must be actively defended rather than assumed.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, fresh from Davos, urged Canada and other middle powers to coordinate an independent path from the United States, arguing Canada thrives because it is Canadian rather than 'living' off the U.S., as Trump-era tensions and a fading rules-based order shape Western politics.
Canada’s prime minister, speaking at Davos, argued that the postwar rules-based international order isn’t delivering and urged middle powers like Canada to pursue an independent, economically stronger foreign policy, deepen ties with Europe and Asia, push back on economic coercion, and consider a loose, coalition-style alternative to the U.S.-led system—while acknowledging practical steps and unknowns about how such a bloc would work.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned at the World Economic Forum in Davos that a rules-based global order is a fiction and urged smaller nations to form broad coalitions to resist self-interested moves by great powers, advocating honest assessment of the global landscape and new partnerships beyond the United States, including Canada’s push for diverse strategic ties and energy leadership.
At Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned that the old world order won’t return and urged middle powers to form coalitions to resist economic coercion by great powers, reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to Greenland, Denmark and NATO, and called for flexible, values-based partnerships and diverse alliances amid shifting geopolitics.