In his final UN speech, Macron may have given other leaders a valuable parting gift: the guts to stand up to Trump
The French president’s resolve seems to have rubbed off on the leaders of other ‘middle powers’
TL;DR
- Donald Trump's UN speech emphasized US exceptionalism and military might, including threats against Iran.
- Emmanuel Macron advocated for international law, multilateralism, and a rules-based order, criticizing the 'new era of barbaric acts' and 'impunity'.
- Macron acknowledged the West's 'double standards' regarding sovereignty in different regions.
- Leaders of 'middle powers', emboldened by Macron's speech, are forming new alliances based on values, not geography or size.
- Examples include the EU and Canada discussing 'associate membership' and a UK-led coalition imposing sanctions on Israel.
- A new international body to oversee AI safety was proposed by Finland and Norway, with 27 leaders signing up.
- The concept of 'values-based realism' is emerging as a guiding principle for these new alliances.
- Middle powers face the challenge of deciding when to confront or remain neutral regarding global power dynamics, such as Trump's desire to invite Putin to the G20.