Carney says Canada “Stands Firmly” with Greenland, warns against use of tariffs as political weapons

January 20, 2026

RED FM News Desk

Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada “stands firmly” with Greenland and strongly opposes the use of tariffs as a tool of economic pressure, delivering the message during a keynote address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday.

Speaking to a packed room of global political, business and media leaders, Carney criticized the growing use of economic measures to coerce nations, saying Canada rejects “tariffs over Greenland.” His remarks came just days after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 10 per cent tariff on several European countries following their decision to send troops to Greenland, a Danish autonomous territory Trump has repeatedly said the United States “needs” for national security reasons.

While Carney did not mention the United States or Trump by name, his comments were widely seen as a response to those threats and to what he described as a broader trend of economic coercion by major powers.

“Let me be direct: We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition,” Carney told the audience. “The old world order is not coming back.”

He warned that economic integration, once seen as a stabilizing force, is increasingly being weaponized. “More recently, great powers have begun using economic integration as weapons,” Carney said. “Tariffs as leverage. Financial infrastructure as coercion. Supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited.”

The 17-minute address marked Carney’s first appearance at the World Economic Forum since becoming prime minister. He framed the current geopolitical moment as a critical test for middle powers like Canada, arguing they must adapt to a more fragmented and confrontational global landscape.

Carney said Canada’s path forward will require resilience, cooperation with like-minded partners, and a clear rejection of economic pressure tactics that undermine sovereignty and global stability.