Mark Carney's speech at Davos called out the United States, stating the international rules-based order no longer works and suggesting countries like Canada might align with China.

“On January 20, 2026, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos that was widely interpreted as a denunciation of U.S. policy. According to transcripts and news reports, Carney stated the post-Cold War, U.S.-led "rules-based international order" was a "pleasant fiction" that has experienced "a rupture, not a transition." While the speech focused on calling for "middle powers" to unite against coercion from great powers, Carney's actions just days prior, on January 16, 2026, involved announcing a "new strategic partnership with China" specifically to reduce Canada's reliance on the U.S. Context: The speech did not explicitly mention the United States or President Trump by name, but commentators widely understood it to be a critique of American hegemony and recent U.S. foreign policy. The call to action was for "middle powers" to unite to create a "third path," rather than simply aligning with one great power over another.”