Report: Trump Admin Eyed 'Core 5' Bloc with US, China, Russia, India, Japan

• A proposed "Core 5" (C5) framework, including the US, China, Russia, India, and Japan, has been reported in an unpublished version of the Trump administration's National Security Strategy.
• The C5 is envisioned as a high-level platform for five influential states, potentially replacing legacy multilateral groups like the G7, and deliberately excludes Europe.
• The White House denies the existence of such a classified document, but analysts note the concept aligns with Trump's foreign policy approach of direct engagement with rival powers.
• India's inclusion in the theoretical C5 highlights its rising global importance, demographic and economic weight, and strategic position, despite its border tensions with China.
• The reported NSS draft suggests a reorientation of US foreign policy, focusing on direct American interests, its own hemisphere, and encouraging certain European countries to distance themselves from the EU.

Why It Matters: A potential 'Core 5' bloc could redefine global power, alliances, and India's international role.