A provocative idea is ricocheting through Washington: a new 'Core 5' grouping that would place the US, China, Russia, India and Japan in the same strategic club, a radical reimagining of global power that would sideline Europe and reshape alliances overnight.
What sounds like a diplomatic fantasy has struck nerves because some Trump-era officials say it tracks with Donald Trump’s worldview, Politico reported. And it comes at a moment when Washington is already debating how much the second Trump administration intends to upend the world order.
The news: a quietly floated C5 concept and a categorical denial
The idea reportedly appeared in a longer, unpublished version of the National Security Strategy referenced by Defense One, though Politico said it could not verify the document’s existence.
The White House rejected the notion outright. Spokesperson Anna Kelly told Politico that 'no alternative, private, or classified version exists' beyond the 33-page official plan.
But the denials haven’t stopped national security hands from dissecting why the proposal found traction in policy circles, even hypothetically.
Why now: Trump’s early moves, and rising anxiety in Washington
The timing matters. Trump has already approved Nvidia’s sale of advanced H200 AI chips to Beijing and dispatched Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow for direct talks with Vladimir Putin.
These early moves have revived old debates about Trump’s instinct to cut deals with rival powers, an instinct that some former officials say could make a US-China-Russia 'C5' feel less outlandish than it sounds.
A former senior official from Trump’s first White House told Politico the idea wasn’t shocking: existing structures like the G7 or UN Security Council were frequently discussed as 'not fit for purpose' in a world dominated by new power centres.
The players and the logic behind the theory
The hypothetical C5 would bring together the world’s largest established and emerging powers, excluding Europe entirely.
Torrey Taussig, who served on the National Security Council under Biden, told Politico the concept fits Trump’s 'nonideological' approach and his affinity for working with other strongmen and great powers managing their own spheres of influence.
Her warning landed hardest: the exclusion of Europe would signal that Washington sees Russia, not the EU, as the 'preeminent power' on the continent.
Michael Sobolik, a former aide to Sen. Ted Cruz, said the concept marks a dramatic reversal from Trump’s first-term doctrine, which embraced great-power competition with China. “This is just a huge departure,” he told Politico.
The backdrop: signs of a pivot away from Europe
Hints of shifting priorities are already visible.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has described a recent Trump–Xi meeting as a historic 'G2,' rattling lawmakers.
The National Security Strategy itself warns that Europe faces 'civilizational erasure,' while emphasising the Western Hemisphere as the new strategic focus, a framing that analysts say is consistent with sidelining traditional European allies.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
