Canadian PM says US-led rules-based system is facing irreversible rupture
January 21, 2026: Speaking at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a stark warning about the future of global diplomacy, stating that the US-led rules-based international order is breaking down permanently. Invoking the phrase “the strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must,” Carney said the world has entered an era where long-standing norms no longer ensure stability. He urged nations not to mourn the old system, stressing that “the old order is not coming back” and that global politics is facing a rupture rather than a gradual transition.
Without naming former US President Donald Trump, Carney pointed to the lasting impact of Trump-era policies on international relations. He said assumptions that once defined global cooperation — predictability, restraint and shared rules — have steadily eroded amid rising great power rivalry. According to Carney, economic tools such as tariffs, supply chains and financial systems are increasingly being weaponised, turning global integration into a source of coercion rather than cooperation, even among traditional allies.
Highlighting Canada’s strategic recalibration, Carney said geography and historic alliances alone can no longer guarantee security or prosperity. He reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to NATO, Denmark and Greenland, while supporting Greenland’s right to determine its future. Stressing unwavering support for NATO’s Article Five, Carney signalled that Ottawa remains committed to collective defence, warning that countries which fail to adapt to the rapidly changing global order risk being left vulnerable in an increasingly fractured world.