The U.S. administration is exploring new global power arrangements, potentially forming a 'Core 5' group including China and Russia.

US President Donald Trump is reportedly exploring a new elite 'C5', or 'Core Five', forum of world powers that would bring together America, Russia, China, India and Japan, sidelining the existing Europe-dominated G7 and other traditional groupings.

The relations between New Delhi and Washington witnessed a major downturn after Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to a whopping 50 per cent in August.

Souring India–US relations under Trump 2.0 expose structural challenges facing Indian foreign policy and the need to re-evaluate its strategic autonomy.

O N DECEMBER 4th, as The Economist went to press, Vladimir Putin was due to touch down in Delhi for the 23rd instalment of the India-Russia summit, an annual affair with many manly hugs and lots of bonhomie.