The rise of the middle powers
Ukraine’s strengthening alliances are a reminder that it has not merely survived the retraction of U.S. support; it has seized the strategic initiative, unleashed to strike deep inside Russia, exposing the fragility of Putin’s house of cards as Moscow bleeds troops, loses ground, and struggles to project even the illusion of strength to its wary allies. It also lends credence to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s admonition that there is an emerging third polarity, with the European Union, United Kingdom and Canada standing strong with Ukrainian ingenuity as Trump’s priorities shift elsewhere.
According to the biblical account in 1 Samuel 17, Goliath was a giant terrorizing Israel and King Saul’s entire army. David, although much shorter than Goliath, refused the support of King Saul’s heavy armor. He advanced toward the taunting giant Goliath with only his shepherd’s staff, a leather sling, and five smooth stones. David killed Goliath by striking him in the forehead with a stone from a sling. With Russia 28 times the size of Ukraine, but around 60% covered in uninhabitable permafrost and not remotely an economic superpower, we may be witnessing a modern remake of this biblical saga. Even more impressive is the fact that David has overcome so many obstacles to this point.
Ref: https://time.com/article/2026/05/23/how-ukraine-found-the-cards-to-win-without-help-from-the-u-s-/
