26 Mar, 2025 20:411/3Insightful Analysis and Opinion

Dmitry Trenin: Liberalism is dead, this is what comes after

In Trump’s world, great powers don’t preach – they compete

The phrase “changing world order” has become a familiar refrain in international affairs.But what’s often missed is how rapidly that change is now unfolding – and who is accelerating it.

Regime changes in international relations are usually the result of crises: wars between great powers or upheavals within them. This was the case in 1939-1945 and again in 1989-1991. Usually, the problems accumulate over years and decades, and the resolution comes unexpectedly: the slow movement of tectonic plates suddenly accelerates dramatically,an avalanche begins that rapidly changes the landscape.

We have had the opportunity to observe something similar in recent weeks. The most striking thing is that themain factor in the changes has been the leadership of the statewhich until now has defended the remnants of the old world order most stubbornly, even fiercely.

The fall of unipolarity, once long predicted and cautiously awaited, has arrived ahead of schedule. TheUnited States, long the enforcer of liberal internationalism, is no longer trying to stop theshift toward a multipolar world. Under Donald Trump, it has joined it.

This pivot is not a mere campaign promise or rhetorical shift.It is a structural break. In the space of weeks, the US has gone from resisting the multipolar order toattempting to dominate it on new terms – less moralism, more realism. In doing so, Washington may inadvertently help deliver the very outcome that previous administrations worked so hard to prevent.

Trump’s turn has broad and lasting implications. The world’s most powerful actor has abandoned the guardianship of liberal globalism andembraced something far more pragmatic: great power rivalry.

The language of human rights and democracy promotion has been replaced with “America First,” not just domestically,but in foreign relations as well.

The new US president has shelved the rainbow banners of BLM and the alphabet soup of Western liberalism.Instead, he waves the American flag with confidence, signaling to allies and adversaries alike: US foreign policy is now about interests, not ideologies.

This is not theoretical. It is a geopolitical earthquake.

Firstly, multipolarity is no longer hypothetical.Trump has shifted the US from an enforcer of unipolarity to a player in multipolarity. His doctrine – “great power competition==” – aligns more with the realist tradition than with the post-Cold War liberalism that dominated Washington for decades.

In this view, the world is made up of sovereign poles: the US, China, Russia, India – each pursuing its own interests, sometimes in conflict, sometimes overlapping.Cooperation arises not from shared values, but from shared necessities.

This is a world Russia knows well – and one in which it thrives.

https://www.rt.com/news/614827-dmitry-trenin-liberalism-is-dead/

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Secondly, Washington’s pivot to realismmeans a fundamental shift in how it engages with the world. The era of liberal crusades is over. Trump has defunded USAID, slashed “democracy promotion” budgets, and shown a willingness to work with regimes of all types – so long as they serve American interests.

This is a departure from the binary moral frameworks of the past. And ironically, it aligns more closely with Moscow’s own worldview.Under Trump, the White House no longer seeks to export liberalism, but ==to negotiate power.

Thirdly, the West, as we knew it, is gone. The liberal “collective West” – defined by shared ideology and transatlantic solidarity – no longer exists in its previous form. The US has effectively withdrawn from it, prioritizing national interest over globalist commitments.

What remains is a fractured West, split between nationalist-led governments like Trump’s and more traditional liberal strongholds in Brussels, Paris, and Berlin. The internal clash between these two visions – nationalism versus globalism – is now the defining political struggle across the West.

This struggle is far from over. Trump’s dominance may look assured, but domestic resistance remains potent. If Republicans lose the 2026 midterms, his ability to pursue his agenda could be blunted. He is also constitutionally barred from running again in 2028, which means time is short.

As the West fractures, the “World Majority” – an informal coalition of nations outside the Western bloc – grows stronger.

Originally coined to describe states that refused to sanction Russia or arm Ukraine, it now represents a broader realignment.

The World Majority isn’t a formal alliance, but a shared posture: sovereignty over submission, trade over ideology, multipolarity over hegemony. BRICS, the SCO, and other regional formats are maturing into genuine alternatives to Western-led institutions. The global South is no longer a periphery – it’s a stage.

We are witnessing the consolidation of a new “Big Three”: the US, China, and Russia. India is likely to join them. These are not ideological allies, but civilizational powers,each pursuing its own destiny.

Their relations are transactional, not sentimental. China, for example, has managed a tightrope walk during Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, maintaining a strategic partnership with Moscow while safeguarding access to Western markets.

That’s not betrayal – it’s good diplomacy. In the multipolar world, every player watches their own flank. Russia respects that. And increasingly, it acts the same way.

Moscow’s place in the new world is another issue. Russia has emerged from the past two years more self-reliant, more assertive, and more central to the international system. The war in Ukraine – and the resilience of Russia’s economy, society, and military – has shifted global perceptions.

https://www.rt.com/news/614827-dmitry-trenin-liberalism-is-dead/

>>22825887

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Russia is no longer treated as a junior partner or regional power. It is now engaged on equal terms with Washington, Beijing, and New Delhi. This shift is visible not only in diplomacy, but in global logistics: new Eurasian trade corridors, expanded BRICS cooperation, and increasing use of national currencies in trade.

Having confirmed its status as one of the world’s leading powers as a result of the Ukraine conflict,Russia is in a position to take its rightful place in this world. We must not indulge in illusions and relax. America’s turn to realism is the result of the success of the Russian army, the resilience of the Russian economy and the unity of the Russian people.

What matters now is to build on this momentum.The US may have pivoted to realism, but it remains a competitor.

Russia must continue strengthening its technological sovereignty, deepening ties with Asia, and pursuing a foreign policy anchored in pragmatism, not nostalgia.

Russia must continue to observe the internal battles in the West – especially the US presidential cycle and tensions inside the EU. But it should no longer hinge its policies on Western acceptance or approval. Moreover, Moscow’s relations with Western European countries are becoming increasingly strained against the backdrop of its dialogue with Washington.

Western unity is increasingly conditional, transactional, and riddled with contradictions. France, Germany, and Italy may face political turbulence. Integration may falter. Russia’s engagement should be tactical –eyes open, cards close to the chest.

There is no point waiting for the new world to be declared – it is already here.We have moved beyond theory. Now begins the contest for position. The world has become multipolar not because anyone willed it, but because power itself has shifted.Trump did not cause this alone. But he has – perhaps unwittingly – accelerated the process.

Russia’s job now is not to prove the old order wrong, but to ensure it claims its place in the new one.

https://www.rt.com/news/614827-dmitry-trenin-liberalism-is-dead/

>>22825558 President Trump: No matter how many surgeries you have or chemicals you inject… You're not going to be a woman. =PN-==

halfchan: You will Never Be a Women! KEK

26 Mar, 2025 08:44

Western support won’t secure victory for Kiev – US intelligence

Russia maintains battlefield superiority and has strengthened its capabilities in key areas, according to a new threat assessment

Western military aid to Kiev and sanctions against Russia cannot shift the balance of power in the Ukraine conflict, according to the US Intelligence Community’s 2025 Annual Threat Assessment.

The intelligence community’s official coordinated evaluation of an array of threats lists Russia, China, North Korea and Iran as countries which represent a challenge to US interests.

Moscow holds the advantage on the battlefield, having adapted to outside efforts to assist Ukraine, the report’s authors explain.The “grinding war of attrition” is expected to further weaken Kiev, “regardless of any US or allied attempts to impose new and greater costs on Moscow.”

While the conflict has taken a significant toll in terms of manpower, the assessment notes that it has also afforded Moscow “a wealth of lessons regarding combat against Western weapons and intelligence in a large-scale war.”

This experience probably will challenge future US defense planning, including against other adversaries with whom Moscow is sharing those lessons learned.

Russia has proven to be “adaptable and resilient” during what it views as a Western proxy war, enhancing its military capabilities across several domains, including unmanned systems, electronic warfare, and the integration of cyber operations with conventional military maneuvers, the report explains.

It warns that Western efforts to undermine the Russian economy “have accelerated its investments in alternative partnerships and use of various tools of statecraft to offset US power, with China’s backing and reinforcement.”

Beijing considers the US use of unilateral sanctions illegal under international law and rooted in a “Cold War mentality.” The US assessment states that major non-Western nations are poised to align with Russia in order to pursue policies that challenge American dominance, such as de-dollarization.

The continuation of the Ukraine conflict risks unintentional escalation, the document cautions. Russia is prepared for such scenarios, armed with a substantial strategic arsenal that includes both conventional and nuclear weapons, as well as cyber-warfare and anti-satellite operations capabilities.

“Russia’s air and naval forces remain intact, with the former being more modern and capable”than at the start of direct hostilities, the report states.

The US intelligence community posits that both Moscow and Kiev may have reasons to avoid a hasty resolution on unfavorable terms. Russian President Vladimir Putin perceives that “positive battlefield trends allow for some strategic patience,” while Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky likely fears that a clear defeat could “prompt domestic backlash.”

(All of this was known by citizens at the beginning, people not even in the military, it was obvious, just look at the size of Russia to Ukraine. It was all a lie, what’s surprising is they are releasing it at all. Probably direction from PDJT so the world knows this is really a useless war, and for the EU come back to their wits, and pull their money back by sending losing arms, all for a delusion; that killed more than a million on both sides combined.)

https://www.rt.com/news/614785-us-intelligence-ukraine-conflict/

WATCH: Trump to announce tariffs on the auto industry(35 minutes ago)

31:50

https://www.youtu.be/1Yvt3x10g8M

Charles Gasparino

@CGasparino

SCOOP: @JDVance and investor group eying next week to announce @tiktok_us deal to prevent April 5 ban of popular app over espionage concerns; announcement likely to include a grace period to put finishing touches on deal designed to keep TikTok ban law from taking effect; GOP senators who opposed the deal are deferring to White House on matter despite continued concerns that deal could violate law; deal could allow Chinese parent @BytedanceTalk to maintain small equity piece in new co; current algorithm remains in new company and Vance working to assuage fears from equity players that Chinese built algo violates law. while some equity holders still want to build a new algo;@Oracle to play major role in storing data; US equity holders in current company will maintain controlling stake. More on @FoxBusiness

1:30pm

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1:17 PM · Mar 26, 2025

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https://x.com/CGasparino/status/1904945727366705379

Mike Davis: “The Military Industrial Complex Hates President Trump’s National Security Team”

14:43

https://rumble.com/embed/v6ozqia/?pub=4