The New Great Game: How Trump’s Tariffs, Putin’s Manoeuvres, and BRICS Realignment Are Redrawing the Global Order

The world is watching with bated breath the turmoil that U.S. President Donald Tump has unleashed in the name of "Make America Great Again", the geopolitical realignments are shifting every day. 

The three capital cities, Washington, Moscow, and New Delhi, are currently scripting what might be the most significant geopolitical realignment since the end of the Cold War. 

Representational Image Source: Alex Jewel on X

With Trump’s tariff war escalating, Putin tightening BRICS ties, and India holding the middle ground with strategic resolve, we are witnessing the dawn of a new multipolar world.

Real Talks or Tactical Delay?

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent three-hour meeting with Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, has stirred speculation of a face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin, possibly followed by a trilateral summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

But Putin has cast doubt over any such three-way sit-down. “I have nothing against it... but the conditions are not yet ripe,” he told Russian media.

Analysts say the Russian president likely sees more upside in a direct negotiation with Trump, reminiscent of the Helsinki summit in 2018 where the former U.S. president controversially sided with Putin over his own intelligence agencies. Zelensky, for now, may remain out of the room—unless he brings a strategic advantage.

Zelensky’s Drone Diplomacy

Kyiv’s game-changer? Drone warfare. Ukraine’s innovative one-way attack drones (OWAs) have reportedly disrupted Russian air defenses, inflicted economic damage via fuel price spikes, and created psychological pressure through attacks near Moscow.

A “mega-drone deal” with Trump—offering tech and tactics—could be Zelensky’s bargaining chip in upcoming negotiations. According to military experts, this gives Ukraine rare leverage in a geopolitical field heavily tilted toward great powers.

Nuclear Posturing and the INF Fallout

Meanwhile, nuclear saber-rattling is back. Stung by a personal insult from Dmitry Medvedev, Trump ordered the deployment of two nuclear-armed submarines to "appropriate regions." This comes in the same week Russia announced its formal withdrawal from the landmark INF Treaty, while the New START Treaty is set to expire in February.

Nuclear scholars warn the erosion of Cold War-era arms control frameworks is making the world more dangerous than it has been in decades.

India: Under Fire, But Steadfast

Amid these tensions, India finds itself squarely in the crosshairs. President Trump has slapped a punitive 50% tariff on Indian goods, accusing New Delhi of fueling the Russian war machine by importing Russian oil. India’s response was firm: energy security for 1.4 billion people is non-negotiable.

Just days after the order, India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The meeting, while light on details, confirmed that the Russian president will visit India later this year—a sign of deepening strategic alignment between the two powers.

Doval reiterated the “very special and long-standing relationship” with Russia, underscoring high-level engagement despite U.S. pressure.

BRICS in Motion

India and Brazil, both targeted by Trump’s economic measures, are drawing closer. A phone call between PM Modi and President Lula reaffirmed plans to deepen trade, digital infrastructure cooperation, and BRICS coordination. With Brazil also facing sanctions—this time for domestic judicial action—the Global South is pushing back against U.S. unilateralism.

Multipolar Realignment in Motion

From New Delhi to Brasília and Moscow, there’s a clear pattern emerging: the United States’ attempt to isolate Russia economically may be accelerating what it fears most, a global order no longer defined by Washington.

Trump’s tariffs, sanctions, and nuclear brinkmanship may well backfire by strengthening informal alignments within BRICS, galvanizing alternatives to Western trade and energy systems.

What to Watch Next:

• Putin–Trump summit: Will it be just optics, or a real policy reset?

• India’s counter-response: Retaliatory tariffs? WTO challenges? Or more alignment with BRICS?

• Nuclear agreements: Will diplomacy rescue New START, or is a new arms race inevitable?

• Drone diplomacy: Will Zelensky’s air war shift battlefield dynamics or negotiation tables?

As one expert put it, the post-Cold War order is being renegotiated. And in this new great game, every handshake, tariff, and drone counts.