What are the middle powers and can they stop Trump?
(1st row from left): Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Angolan President and African Union President Joao Lourenco and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney react while attending a family photo event during the G20 Leaders Summit plenary session at the Nasrec Expo Center in Johannesburg on November 22, 2025.
Gianluigi Guercia | Afp | Getty Images
With the resurgence of US dominance in the West and the apparent disintegration of the rules-based international order, some see the world’s “middle powers” as a possible bulwark against increasing unilateralism among global superpowers.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed this hope last week, telling delegates at the World Economic Forum (WEF): “Middle powers” must work together Countering the rise of hard power, the disintegration of multilateral institutions such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, and building a more cooperative and peaceful world.
Carney told delegates: “The major powers can afford to go it alone for now. They have the market size, the military capacity and the power to dictate the terms. The middle powers do not have that power.”
“The middle powers need to act together, because if we are not at the table, we will be on the menu,” he warned.
super powers often defined as: Countries with permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council, such as China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. However, the world’s only current superpowers with real consequences are arguably China and the United States.
The definition of “middle powers” is more vague; however, it is generally used to refer to states that have economic, diplomatic or political influence but are in the “second tier” of the geopolitical hierarchy.
Leaders pose for a family photo on the opening day of the G20 Leaders Summit at the Nasrec Expo Center on November 22, 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Misper Apawu | via Reuters
According to the WEF white paper “Shaping Cooperation in a Fractured World,” most of the G20 will be classified as “middle powers”; Australia, Canada and South Korea are among the most prominent middle power economies in the Global North, while Argentina, Brazil and Indonesia will be placed in the same camp in the Global South.
Middle powers are stepping back
Although Trump was not named, Carney’s speech was seen as a veiled attack on the US president’s widespread threats against Trump and his imposition of tariffs last year. To force partners to trade terms favorable to the States.
Trump also caused consternation among Western allies by threatening to use military force to seize Greenland, a semi-autonomous region of Denmark. Although love for Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has not faded, the US’s unceremonious capture of the leader has also raised questions about America’s compliance with international law.
Carney’s speech reflected the zeitgeist among delegates in Davos; Many of the delegates expressed growing frustration with Trump’s perceived hostility and disrespect for his long-term allies. The Canadian leader has since been thought to be leading the “middle powers charge” against Trump.
If this charge gains momentum, analysts say, it could see more middle powers forming their own bilateral geostrategic agreements, or the trade deals announced between India and the EU on Tuesday, as a way to sideline the United States or at least ease the pain of trade tariffs or threats.
“The most striking thing about Carney’s incendiary speech was that for the first time, the leader of a close ally of the United States had the courage to stand up to President Donald Trump and say enough is enough,” said Stewart Patrick, senior fellow and director of the Global Order and Institutions Program at the Carnegie Endowment for Global Peace. It was said in the post-Davos analysis.
“It laid bare for all to hear the devastating consequences of Washington’s current policies for the global order, and signaled that at least one former ally is prepared not only to protect against the unpredictable and predatory United States, but also to balance against it if necessary,” he added.
DAVOS, SWITZERLAND – JANUARY 20: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivers a speech at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland on January 20, 2026.
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Unsurprisingly, the White House was not happy about this. Trump scolded Carney in his Davos speech, saying: “Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that next time you make a statement, Mark.”
Analysts note that former allies of the United States may have begun to question the depth and strength of their relations with the United States when Trump first announced his tariff policies last year, but many are now openly questioning their alliances with Washington. This may have longer-term effects.
“America’s closest and longest-standing allies are now publicly questioning not only the credibility of the United States but its motives,” Michael Butler, professor and chair of Clark University’s Department of Political Science, said in emailed comments. he said.
“This is important because alliances are a two-way street, which means it would be a mistake to assume that if U.S. foreign policy moderates under this or a future president, Canada and Europe will immediately fall back on board,” he said.
Borders of middle powers
Middle powers may be “having their moment,” Carnegie’s Patrick said, but that doesn’t mean they can revive international cooperation and the old world order.
“Some realism is needed,” Patrick said. “First of all, although a multipolar world is inevitable, it is still in its infancy. The structure of international politics remains bipolar, dominated by two superpowers, for now. [China and the U.S.]”
As middle powers seek to establish controls over these two geopolitical giants, both may seek to thwart what he describes as “middle power activism” and curtail minilateral initiatives.
Second, he noted that “today’s middle powers are a heterogeneous group, and their particular interests, competing values, and divergent visions of the world will often limit their solidarity and enthusiasm for common projects.”
Finally, it is important to avoid idealizing medium-sized powers, Patrick warned: “Not all of them are admirable, much less ready to contribute to international cooperation. And even those who support multilateralism are motivated not by altruism but by self-interest, albeit enlightened.”
