Emerging reports from credible U.S. media outlets suggest that President Donald Trump's administration is actively considering the establishment of a revolutionary "Core Five" (C5) grouping, comprising the United States, China, Russia, India, and Japan — a bold reconfiguration of global power dynamics that deliberately excludes Europe and challenges the longstanding dominance of the G7.

The proposal allegedly appears in an extended, unpublished iteration of the recently released National Security Strategy, as cited by Politico and initially reported by Defense One. This envisioned forum would convene regular high-level summits focused on pragmatic issues, with the inaugural agenda prioritising Middle East security, including the normalisation of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, free from the ideological constraints of democracy and wealth that define existing bodies like the G7.

While the White House has vehemently denied the existence of any alternative document, with Press Secretary Hannah Kelly asserting that no secret or private version supplements the official 33-page strategy, national security analysts perceive the concept as quintessentially "Trumpian" — rooted in realpolitik rather than values-based alliances, emphasising cooperation with major powers that command significant populations and regional influence.

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Former Biden-era National Security Council official Torrey Taussig described the framework as reflective of Trump's preference for engaging "strong players" who maintain spheres of influence, notably omitting Europe and implicitly endorsing Russia's stature in its neighbourhood. Conversely, Michael Sobolik, a veteran of Trump's first term, flagged the inclusion of China as a dramatic pivot from the previous administration's stance on great-power competition, potentially signalling a transactional approach to rivalry.

The speculation intensifies ongoing anxieties among traditional U.S. allies regarding the second Trump term's intent to disrupt the post-World War II order, viewing the C5 as a mechanism that legitimises authoritarian leadership and undermines collective Western institutions like NATO. As debates rage over reshaping multilateralism for a truly multipolar world, the unconfirmed proposal underscores a potential shift towards raw power diplomacy among demographic and military-economic giants.

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