Carney warns global rules-based order is collapsing amid superpower dominance.

Global stability is fraying as Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney warns that the rules-based international order is collapsing under the weight of superpower dominance. On Saturday, ahead of the Group of Seven summit scheduled for late June in France, Carney declared that the world is facing a "global rupture" rather than a peaceful evolution. Speaking at the launch of the De Chastelain Public Lecture series at Trinity College in Dublin, the Canadian leader called for an urgent end to the isolationism of major powers.

"The post-Cold War world's rules-based order is breaking down. Multilateral institutions have weakened. Economic integration, from which we have benefitted is being weaponised. The international trading system, which we've relied upon for decades, is under threat," Carney stated. He specifically addressed the "middle powers" — nations like Ireland and Canada — urging them to unite and pool their collective strength against these shifting tides.

"Ireland and Canada are navigating a global rupture, not a quiet transition," Carney said. He emphasized that these nations, along with Europe, are increasingly vulnerable to distant threats and must act as a "force for good." His message was clear: unity is the only viable response to the go-it-alone mentality adopted by some global giants.

The speech came as tensions between Canada and the United States reach historic levels. President Donald Trump has openly pushed for Canada to become the "51st state," a sentiment he reinforced with a social media post in early June. Washington has increasingly used tariffs and trade pressure to force Ottawa to align with American priorities, effectively challenging Canadian sovereignty. Both Carney and Trump are expected to address the G7 gathering in Evian-les-Bains from June 15 to 17, a meeting that will likely highlight the friction between longtime allies.

Carney's call for European solidarity has found a receptive audience, particularly within the European Union, which is eager to reduce its dependence on the United States amidst rising geopolitical strain. His rhetoric mirrored a controversial address he delivered earlier this year at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he first outlined his vision for a new order led by intermediate powers. At that forum, Carney questioned the durability of existing alliances and cited the weaponization of economic ties to coerce smaller nations.

The reaction from the White House was swift and sharp. At the same Davos event, President Trump lashed out at Carney, accusing him of a lack of deference. "Canada gets a lot of freebies from us, by the way. They should be grateful also, but they're not," Trump said. He added the blunt assessment that "Canada lives because of the United States," a sentiment that underscores the deepening divide on the North American continent.

Despite the friction, Carney insists that the path forward requires a deliberate shift in strategy. He argues that Canada, Ireland, and Europe can wield significant influence together, potentially matching the power of any single superstate. As the G7 summit approaches, the world watches to see if middle powers can forge a new alliance or if the current rupture will widen into an irreversible fracture.

Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements."

Carney, however, returned to similar themes on Saturday, comparing the might of the Canada-EU alliance to that of the world's largest economies.

"Together, we are powerful because we have the capacity to act together," Carney said. "Combined, the population is more than twice that of the United States."

"Our collective defence budget is twice that of China's," he added.

Since Carney became Canada's prime minister in 2025, he has pushed to strengthen these specific bonds mentioned in his speech.

In May, he became the first non-European leader to join the European Political Community Summit. This forum aims to build security and economic strength across the continent.

In February, he successfully oversaw a push for Canada to join Europe's SAFE Instrument. This loan programme helps countries buy critical military defence supplies.

Canada is now the first non-European country to be part of that initiative.

On Saturday, Carney added that he would like to see the European Union build ties with the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership. This agreement would ease trade barriers for nearly a dozen countries along the Pacific Ocean, including Canada.

Such an alliance would create a trading bloc of more than 1.5 billion people.

"The nations that invest in their own capabilities and partner with like-minded allies will multiply their strength," Carney said.

Citing mutual challenges like global conflicts and climate change, he called on the EU and Canada to draw on their shared history and goals.

"We have developed a unique worldview — a transatlantic worldview, if you will," he explained. "We are stronger when we are connected, that our prosperity grows when it's shared, and that we are the stewards of our lands.