As the world inches back to a pre-WW2 order, the 'middle powers' face a grave new challenge

January 25, 2026

The article reflects on how the post-World War II rules-based international order, largely established and maintained by American power, is now being dismantled by President Trump's "America First" strategy. While this order provided peace and prosperity for Western nations, it was never universally experienced as benign—countries in the Global South often faced American interventionism despite the stated rules. Trump's threats against allies like Denmark over Greenland and his reassertion of the Monroe Doctrine represent a return to Great Power politics where strength trumps international law.

Who is affected

European nations (particularly Denmark regarding Greenland)
Canada and Prime Minister Mark Carney
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and British veterans' families
NATO member countries
Latin American countries (historically Guatemala, Chile, Panama, Grenada)
Middle Eastern nations (historically Iran)
Pakistan and the Global South broadly
American allies collectively referred to as "middle powers"
Students and faculty at Columbia University's Journalism School (in the 2002 anecdote)

What action is being taken

President Trump is threatening Danish sovereignty over Greenland and demanding ownership
European allies are raising their defense spending from around 2% of GDP to 5%
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney is calling for "middle powers" to act together
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to Trump and publicly branded his remarks about NATO troops "insulting and frankly appalling"
European and Canadian leaders are forming a new cohesion and defiance against Trump's approach
The White House is implementing its National Security Strategy focused on "America First"

Why it matters

This represents a fundamental shift away from the multilateral, rules-based international order that has governed relations since World War II toward a system of Great Power politics based on strength and spheres of influence. For the first time, America's traditional allies are experiencing the arbitrary exercise of American power that the Global South has long faced, forcing a recalibration of international relationships. The erosion of trust in democratic institutions, combined with economic stagnation and rising inequality, threatens the stability that the post-war generation fought to create. This moment reveals that democracy and the rule of law are not permanent fixtures but fragile achievements requiring constant defense, with the outcome determining whether the world returns to the destabilizing Great Power rivalries that characterized the pre-World War II era.

What's next

Canada and European "middle powers" are working to build unity and act together in response to the changing international landscape. European leaders have committed to increased defense spending targets of 5% of GDP. However, beyond these general directions, no explicit next steps stated in the article.

Read full article from source: BBC