Middle Powers Still Have Tools to Shape Global Order, Analyst Says

In a January address, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney urged “middle powers” to build a new order based on human-rights, sustainability and sovereignty, but the vision has stalled as nations focus on national survival amid U.S. policy shifts. Elbridge Colby, the U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, recently ridiculed the notion of a coordinated middle-power strategy, pointing to a lack of common ground. The article notes that countries such as Canada have turned inward, seeking strategic autonomy through rearmament and diversified partnerships with China, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, while the EU’s plan to use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine faltered in Belgium.

It proposes three practical steps: pooling defence and industrial capabilities to achieve “allied scale,” creating ad-hoc coalitions that operate under international law and existing institutions, and reinforcing the United Nations and its agencies. Examples include a tech partnership among Canada, Australia and India, a Defence, Security and Resilience Bank, and a WTO-led interim appeals mechanism. By pursuing these measures, middle powers can strengthen multilateral ties and keep the global system viable for future renewal.