US President Donald Trump is reportedly examining the creation of a new elite power forum, a ‘C5’ or ‘Core Five’ grouping, that would unite the United States, Russia, China, India and Japan, potentially reshaping the global order and pushing aside Europe-led bodies such as the G7.
The proposal surfaced in a report by the American outlet Politico, which said the idea appeared in an extended, unpublished version of the National Security Strategy released by the White House last week. Although the publication stressed that it could not independently verify the longer document, its existence was previously reported by Defense One.
Strong ‘Trumpian’ Signature
According to the report, the envisioned forum would bring together major population centres and hard-power nations without the G7’s prerequisites of wealth and democratic governance. The C5 would meet regularly, mirroring G7 summits, with its first suggested agenda item focused on Middle East security, particularly efforts to normalise relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
However, the White House has firmly rejected claims of any such alternative blueprint. Press secretary Hannah Kelly insisted there is “no alternative, private, or secret version” of the official 33-page strategy.
Despite the denial, several national security experts told Politico that the concept aligns closely with Trump’s worldview. Torrey Taussig, who served as director for European affairs on the US National Security Council under President Joe Biden, said the idea reflects Trump’s preference for engaging with powerful states that command regional influence. Notably, Europe is absent from the theoretical C5 — a detail she suggested would reinforce concerns that the administration sees Russia as a dominant force in Europe’s security landscape.
Michael Sobolik, a former aide to Republican Senator Ted Cruz during Trump’s first term, described the proposal as a major shift from the administration’s earlier approach to China. “The first Trump administration adhered to the concept of great power competition… This is just a huge departure from that,” he said.
The report comes as Washington wrestles with how far Trump’s second administration might go in reordering global alliances. Critics warn that elevating Russia and prioritising deal-making among major geopolitical players could undermine transatlantic unity, weaken NATO cohesion and legitimise authoritarian leaders at the expense of traditional democratic partnerships.
