Carney said that Canada and the European Union have a combined population that is more than twice that of the U.S., with a similarly sized economy and a collective defense budget that is twice that of China's. He said smaller nations can multiply their strength by partnering with like-minded allies.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, became a symbol of middle-power resistance in January, when he declared the global rules-based order over and condemned coercion by great powers on smaller countries.