The era of Great Powers is not merely a phenomenon of the last century, but is more relevant than ever. This is the distinctive difference between the current – and previous – term of US President Trump compared to his predecessor, Joe Biden. If the US tried after the end of the Cold War to create strong partnerships around the world under American hegemony and the vision of “Pax Americana”, this status quo is changing rapidly with the rise of China and Russia as key competitors not only to the US but also to the broader Western system of trade, transactions and values.
Trade war and the imposition of tariffs is a policy that has been emerging for years, based on competition that is recognized as a sign of the weakening of American power in global foreign policy.
The establishment of a multipolar world and the gradual removal of the dollar from its hegemonic position are causing great concern among both international analysts and Republican party officials. Although the policy of revisionism may not directly threaten the United States, it threatens the European future in terms of security, recognized borders, and internal cohesion of citizens. Russia’s invasion could serve as a model for similar actions in states with excessive concentration of power in political figures such as Turkey, North Korea, Iran, and Russian satellite states such as Belarus.
The American President seems to respect Putin and is seeking a quick agreement on a peace plan in Ukraine, emphasizing China, which he considers the biggest problem for the American economy and the international interests of the United States in trade and financial markets. While Biden focused on containing Russia and competing with China, President Trump has focused on imposing hefty tariffs as leverage for negotiations to achieve a long-term agreement and cooperation.
China, with its aggressive plans for Taiwan, and its strategic cooperation with Russia have created an adversarial coalition that cannot be easily countered by US policies. At the same time, the effort to attract other countries through the BRICS organization or independently reinforces multipolarity.
The era of Great Powers highlights a world where geopolitics is determined by a few powerful countries. Trump seems to have accepted Russia’s victory after Ukraine is pressured to cede territory and provide access to rare metals in exchange for military aid and mediation to finally end the war. The politician and businessman Trump, with his high rhetoric and threats of high tariffs against China, will likely try to achieve broad negotiations with Xi Jinping on all the important issues that remain thorny in the relations between the two countries, trade, investment, imports, exports, nuclear weapons, energy. This approach is already putting pressure on traditional US allies such as Canada, Europe, while even threatening to annex Greenland, Panama, by military means. Regardless of the behavior and political choices of the Trump administration, we must see that the world is currently under the influence of a few great powers that will decide on Ukraine without Europe. They will decide on international trade without taking into account other smaller countries. The question is whether Trump is trying to weaken the strategic relationship and cooperation between Russia and China or whether he has already accepted their power and simply wants to show domestically that the US continues to project its power against the West’s traditional enemies and competitors.
Let us remember that at the end of World War II, the victorious powers, despite their ideological and political differences, sat down at the same table to agree on the formation of the post-war global order. Competition, a key feature in history, will not disappear. Trump has understood this and is trying to readjust this outdated model of global competition, and turn it into an advantage for the American economy. This could mean that Ukraine would have to back down, Denmark would have to cede part of Greenland, Europeans would have to increase military spending to keep NATO united, and all of the US’s trading partners would have to pay high tariffs to gain access to the rich American consumer base.
The Age of Great Powers is here to remind us that decisions are made by a few powerful people in order to serve the broader interests. The formation of a new balance, where the great powers will cooperate, will be crucial to avoiding new conflicts. As the world faces ongoing crises, perhaps order in chaos will come through partnership, cooperation, and competition, rather than aggressive rhetoric and isolationist foreign policy. The real enemy ultimately remains disorder, chaos, military tension, trade war, and disinformation. The Age of Great Powers requires new balances that will determine the (new) world order for decades.
-Efstathios Kassios
EFSTATHIOS KASSIOS 
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