Carney at Davos turns “rupture” into a plan, as Trump’s rebuke widens transatlantic tension

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published January 22, 2026

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In his Davos address, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the world is “in the midst of a rupture, not a transition,” warning that major powers are increasingly weaponizing economic integration, from tariffs as leverage to financial infrastructure as coercion and supply chains as vulnerabilities to exploit.

The core of Carney’s message was not only diagnosis but a proposed program: he argued the “old order is not coming back” and that “nostalgia is not a strategy,” then outlined a model of burden-sharing strategic autonomy through what he called “variable geometry,” meaning different coalitions for different issues with partners who share enough values and interests to act together.

He pointed to concrete tracks, including issue-based coalitions on Ukraine and Arctic security, efforts to bridge Pacific and European trade frameworks, G7-anchored buyers’ clubs for critical minerals, and cooperation on AI with like-minded democracies to avoid being forced to choose between “hegemons” and “hyperscalers,” according to the published transcript.

Within 24 hours, Reuters reported that U.S. President Donald Trump publicly chided Carney in Davos, saying Canada “should be grateful” and that the country “lives because of the United States,” while Carney’s office said it did not intend to comment.

In Canada, The Guardian reported Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Trump’s threats toward Greenland, Canada and NATO allies fuel instability and uncertainty, also referencing an altered image showing the U.S. flag covering Canada, Greenland and Venezuela.

Across Europe, the Greenland dispute and tariff threats fed a broader debate on deterrence and economic retaliation. Reuters reported Trump said there was “no going back” on Greenland and would not rule out force, as Denmark’s prime minister struck a defiant tone, France’s Emmanuel Macron warned against “the law of the strongest,” and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke of a “seismic change” requiring a “new form of European independence,” with Brussels weighing trade response options.