Trump’s ‘Core-5’ gambit? Buzz over new power grouping with India and global giants

This proposed forum would bring together five major powers — the United States, India, Russia, China and Japan — forming an elite alternative to traditional bodies like the G7 that have long been dominated by Western democracies.

The idea first surfaced in Politico, which cited an extended, unpublished version of the White House’s newly released National Security Strategy.

Though the existence of this longer draft remains unconfirmed, reports indicate it was initially mentioned by Defense One.

A shift away from democracy and wealth-based clubs

If created, the C5 would mark a dramatic shift in global diplomacy.

Unlike the G7, which requires member states to be both democratic and economically advanced, the C5 would be anchored in hard power, population size and strategic influence.

According to the report, the group would meet regularly, similar to G7 summits, and discuss major geopolitical challenges.

The first proposed agenda item: security in the Middle East, with a focus on advancing normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia — a long-standing US foreign policy objective.

Experts see ‘Trumpian’ blueprint

Despite the buzz, the White House has rejected claims of any such document, with press secretary Hannah Kelly stating that no private or alternative version of the 33-page official National Security Strategy exists.

Yet several national security analysts believe the concept strongly reflects Donald Trump’s worldview.

Torrey Taussig, a former US National Security Council official, said the proposed C5 aligns with Trump’s non-ideological approach, his preference for strongman leaders and his inclination toward cooperation among powerful nations with regional spheres of influence.

Taussig noted that Europe’s absence from the hypothetical grouping could further fuel concerns in EU capitals about America’s evolving stance toward Russia and broader European security.

A sharp pivot from Trump’s earlier China policy

Michael Sobolik, a former adviser to Senator Ted Cruz, pointed out that the C5 proposal would represent a clear break from the “great power competition” framework that shaped the Trump administration’s first-term China strategy.

During that period, Washington emphasised rivalry with Beijing, not partnership within a multilateral forum.

Allies wary of potential global reordering

The reports emerge at a time when America’s allies are already debating how far Trump’s second-term foreign policy might reshape global institutions.

A C5 grouping would implicitly sideline forums like the G7 and even the G20, portraying them as insufficient for an increasingly multipolar world.

European and NATO partners fear that granting Russia parity with Western democracies could legitimise strongman politics, undermine transatlantic unity and weaken long-standing security alliances.

For now, the C5 remains unconfirmed — but the very idea underscores the rapidly shifting contours of global power, with India emerging yet again as a central player in the world’s next strategic alignment.