Balance of Power

Middle Powers Speed Date as Trump Upends World

Nations work to avoid being trampled as the US president weaponizes his economy.

US President Donald Trump during the signing ceremony for the Board of Peace in Davos on Jan. 22. — US President Donald Trump during the signing ceremony for the Board of Peace in Davos on Jan. 22.Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg

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By Rosalind Mathieson

January 23, 2026 at 10:59 AM UTC

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The middle-power speed-dating game is on.