Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed that the perception of a fair and equal international order dominated by the United States has always contained inaccuracies.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland on Tuesday, he acknowledged that various nations, including Canada and multiple European states, have benefited from American dominance, which has fostered better trading systems, financial stability, and security partnerships.
"We recognized that the narrative surrounding the global rules-based order was only partially correct, as more powerful nations often sought exemptions for themselves when it suited their interests and that trade regulations were applied unevenly," Carney stated.
He emphasized, "This agreement no longer functions effectively. Allow me to be straightforward. We are experiencing a significant breach, rather than a mere transition. An array of crises spanning finance, public health, energy, and international relations over the last twenty years have exposed the risks linked to excessive global integration.
"However, more recently, major powers have begun to wield economic integration as a weapon, employing tariffs as coercive tools and using financial systems to exert pressure. It becomes untenable to maintain the illusion of mutual benefit within integration when that integration is, in effect, a source of subjugation," he pointed out.
Carney remarked that influential nations tend to exempt themselves while applying regulations unevenly. He indicated that the previous order had ceased to function, especially due to escalating tensions among powerful nations such as the US, China, and Russia.
"The power of this system does not reside in its accuracy, but rather in the collective commitment to uphold it. Its vulnerabilities stem from this very same reason. Once even a single entity chooses to step away from the agreed performance—when, for instance, a grocer stops displaying their sign—the façade starts to crumble.
"Every day reinforces our understanding that we are in an age characterized by significant power rivalry, as the rules-based system deteriorates, and the powerful exercise their will while the weak bear the consequences," he added.
Carney made these comments in the context of the increasingly unilateral and America-first approach adopted by the United States, which has included tariffs and economic pressure directed at other nations.
The rise of China and Russia has put the post-war world order, which relied on US preeminence, under considerable strain.
Since the onset of Trump's second term, US policies have disrupted the established international trading and security frameworks.
Most recently, Trump opted out of 66 United Nations and international organizations, claiming they failed to align with American interests.
Moreover, he enacted a 10% tariff on nations including the UK, France, Denmark, and five other EU nations for not supporting his bid to acquire Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark.
"Military action remains a possibility in our ambition to gain Greenland from Denmark," Trump asserted, justifying this move as necessary to protect the Arctic region from China and Russia—two of America's main adversaries.
Amid his focus on the western hemisphere, which includes the US sphere of influence, Trump has also hinted at the annexation of Canada as the next state in the union. Since the illicit capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Trump has intensified scrutiny of Canada, voicing concerns over its susceptibility to US rivals in the Arctic.
Carney characterized these developments as a fracture in the global order.
"This marks the conclusion of a comfortable illusion and the onset of stark reality, in which the dynamics of geopolitics do not acknowledge limits or constraints," he noted.
To shield the interests of various nations from aggressive maneuvers and maintain global unity, Carney urged world leaders to abandon efforts to restore the status quo and instead cultivate frameworks and agreements that operate effectively and mitigate coercive leverage.
The Transition to Value-Based Pragmatism
Carney also discussed Canada's strategy to broaden its relationships while urging other middle powers to pursue similar paths.
He stated that nations, many of which have longstanding ties to the US, must start adjusting to a global landscape that distances them from American influence.
Carney highlighted Canada's movement away from conventional liberal internationalism towards a paradigm he refers to as values-based realism.
This includes exploring alliances with countries such as China and Qatar and considering trade agreements with India, Thailand, the Philippines, and Mercosur.
His discourse signals a modification in Canadian foreign policy and resonates with core realist beliefs regarding the significance of power and the tenuousness of international regulations and structures—views long supported by foreign policy analysts.
Carney advocated for diversification to protect against unpredictability.
He warned that dominant powers like the US should not continually exploit their relationships with lesser states.
"I want to emphasize that other nations, particularly intermediary powers like Canada, should not see themselves as powerless. They possess the capability to forge a new world order reflecting our values, including the respect for human rights, sustainable growth, collective solidarity, sovereignty, and the territorial integrity of diverse nations," he concluded.
Stressing the need for enhanced collaboration among world leaders, Carney referenced Thucydides' Melian dialogue, which asserts that, "the strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must." This quote is a cornerstone among foreign policy experts adhering to a realistic worldview.
"Faced with this reality, there is a prevalent inclination for nations to conform, to accommodate, and to evade conflict, hoping that compliance will ensure their safety.
"But it will not," he cautioned.
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