Emerging global blocs

Continuing with his tumultuous global politics, one cannot but conclude that U.S. President Donald Trump is either a madman or a genius, since he appears convinced that he alone can restore America’s greatness. Yet, his erratic policies-particularly the imposition of arbitrary tariffs-have inflicted serious damage on U.S. credibility and seriously damaged relations with traditional allies in the west and east. In the process, Trump is gradually isolating America while accelerating the rise of emerging global blocs. His trade war has alienated traditional allies in Europe and Asia as he “tariffed” friends which only drove a wedge between Washington and capitals that once stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States. Europe, collectively wealthier than the U.S. and far more populous, is reassessing its dependence on American security guarantees. The possibility of European nations consolidating their own economic and military might, independent of U.S. influence, is no longer unthinkable. In Asia, Trump’s whimsical tariff measures have strained relations with Japan, New Zealand, and Australia-nations that long formed the cornerstone of America’s Pacific strategy. More alarmingly, his decision to impose a shocking 50 percent tariff on India, ostensibly to punish New Delhi for buying Russian oil, has undercut decades of careful diplomacy symbolized by the Indo-U.S. nuclear partnership. Trump’s inconsistencies are even more glaring with regard to Russia. While he has slapped tariffs on nearly every other major economy-including a sweeping 50 percent levy on Chinese imports-he has conspicuously avoided penalizing Moscow. Instead, he has chosen to punish those who maintain economic ties with Russia. This contradictory approach has left allies perplexed and adversaries emboldened. The broader consequence is the strengthening of alternative economic and political alignments. Nations sidelined or angered by Trump’s tariff regime are gravitating toward BRICS, the bloc originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. With new members such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, BRICS is positioning itself as a formidable counterweight to Western-led institutions. From 2025 to 2029, the bloc is projected to account for nearly 58 percent of global GDP growth, with a combined economic output of around $60 trillion-double that of the United States. With close to four billion people, BRICS also commands a demographic advantage that dwarfs America’s 350 million. Europe too, with a GDP of roughly $20 trillion and a population of 450 million, is recalibrating its priorities. Faced with Trump’s open preference for Moscow over NATO allies, the European Union is increasingly compelled to consider greater military integration, including the possibility of a standing European army. Perhaps the most unintended outcome of Trump’s policies has been the rehabilitation of Russia’s global standing. Just weeks ago, Moscow was still regarded as a pariah. Today, thanks to Trump’s initiatives-including his ill-prepared summit in Alaska-Russia finds itself courted by emerging powers eager for alternatives to U.S. dominance. In his zeal to “Make America Great Again,” Trump has instead triggered a seismic realignment of global politics. Old adversaries are compelled to find common ground, new blocs are rising, and U.S. is isolated and its influence waning. Ironically, while Trump brags about his MAGA, it is Vladimir Putin who seems closer to realizing his dream of restoring Russian influence, leaving Trump’s vaunted leadership in peril and condemned to be consigned to dustbin of history.