“The old order is not going back,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, calling on fellow middle powers to unite.
“The middle powers need to act together, because if we don’t have a seat at the table, we’re on the menu,” Carney said on Tuesday, adding that he believed great powers were using economic coercion to get what they wanted.
He also affirmed Canada’s support for Greenland, Denmark and the NATO alliance, drawing applause.
Carney did not mention Donald Trump by name, but some of his comments appeared to be aimed at the US president, who has threatened to impose tariffs on European allies and Britain unless Greenland is handed over to the US.
“Great powers” are often defined as China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, which are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and indicate their economic and military dominance in the world.
Despite their small economies, middle-sized powers such as Canada, Australia, Argentina, South Korea, and Brazil still have a large influence on world politics.
In his speech, Carney said the world is “in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.”
“Great powers are beginning to use economic integration as a weapon, tariffs as leverage, financial infrastructure as coercion, and supply chains as vulnerabilities to exploit,” he said.
He also said Canada was “one of the first countries to sound the alarm” that our geographic and historical alliances no longer guarantee security or prosperity.
Upon returning to office, Trump frequently referred to Canada as the “51st state” and threatened to join Canada and the United States in “economic power.” The United States then imposed steep tariffs on its northern neighbor and major trading partner.
President Trump recently added Canada to his efforts to seize partial sovereignty over Greenland by posting on social media a map of the United States, Canada, and Greenland with an American flag on top.
In his speech, Carney said Canada firmly supports Greenland and Denmark as members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and supports “Greenland’s independent right to determine its future.”
“Our commitment to Article 5 is unwavering,” he added, referring to a clause in the NATO agreement that says an attack on one member state is an attack on all members.
Canadian media reported earlier this week that Canada is considering sending a small force to Greenland to join Danish and other European forces participating in military exercises in the region.
Asked about this at Davos, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said: “We regularly participate in NATO exercises, and we also participate in exercises led by the Canadian Armed Forces itself.” She added that the Minister of Defense and the Chief of Defense Staff would decide on future deployments.
The BBC has contacted the Canadian Department of Defense for comment.
In his speech, Mr. Carney said that to adapt to changing geopolitics, Canada is now focused on engaging with other countries and building “different coalitions on different issues, based on common values and interests.”
The prime minister touted Canada as a “stable and reliable” partner, noting recent trade and investment deals with China and Qatar, as well as a defense procurement agreement Canada signed with the European Union early last year.
Carney is one of several world leaders attending this week’s World Economic Forum. Trump is scheduled to give his own speech on Wednesday.