Can middle powers save the rules-based international order when the US violates its principles?

share_windows This policy brief appeared in the Toda Peace Institute's Policy Briefs and Reports series on March 24 2026.

This policy brief argues that middle powers should collaborate to protect their distinctive interests at a time of profound change and uncertainty in the international order. After outlining some of the key changes, it explains the different ways in which the current order is viewed by the United States, and by states like Canada, which has been subjected to increasing levels of pressure and interference by its more powerful neighbour. Mark Carney has recently provided an important and actionable analysis of the situation confronting middle powers as they seek to navigate a world in which the United States appears to have abandoned its role as system stabiliser.

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