C5 to Replace G7? "Haha, Trump is Humiliating Europe"

Recently, several US media outlets reported that US President Trump intends to establish a new "Core Five" (C5) group consisting of the US, China, Russia, India, and Japan. In stark contrast to the current G7, the C5 does not include any European countries. Previous reports stated: "The US wants to form a 'Core Five' with China, Russia, India, and Japan," but without the EU. According to RIA Novosti, on December 11th local time, Dmitry Medvedev, Chairman of the United Russia party and Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, responded that this idea is a "blatant insult" to European countries such as Britain, France, and Germany, indicating that Europe is "no longer the dominant force." He later added that, despite this, there has been no official response or document confirming the existence of the C5. "This idea is undoubtedly a blatant insult to Europe in its current dire situation, especially to Britain, France, and Germany..." Medvedev wrote on the Russian social media platform Max.

Medvedev stated, "That's the truth! You haven't grasped Washington's intentions at all—you're not in our plans, we don't need you, and you're no longer the dominant force." He added, "As for what this C5 actually is, we're completely clueless." Later, Medvedev posted again, stating that there has been no official response or document confirming the existence of the C5, and suspecting it might be a "globalist anti-Trump strategy." He explained, "This looks like a simple 'anti-Trump' hoax orchestrated by arrogant globalists to sow discord between the despicable Trump and the 'degenerates' of Europe." According to a Politico report on the same day, a seemingly distant idea circulating in Washington this week—the establishment of a new "core five" group including traditional rivals like China and Russia—in stark contrast to the existing G7, has been noted. The report states that while this idea initially seemed unfeasible, some observers have pointed out its resemblance to Trump's style.

(RT tweet screenshot) First, Trump frequently pushes for deals with so-called “rival countries,” such as approving the sale of Nvidia’s H200 AI chips to China and sending special envoys Witkov and Kushner to negotiate directly with Russian President Putin in Moscow.A person who served in the White House during Trump's first administration said the idea of ​​a C5 wasn't entirely surprising. The person said, "While there hasn't been formal discussion of a 'core five' or 'seven,' there has been talk that the existing G7 structure or the UN Security Council is no longer suitable for today's international reality." Politico noted that Defense One first reported on the idea. The report cited sources saying that the C5 concept appeared in a longer, but unpublished version of the National Security Strategy (NSS) released by the White House last week.

However, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly explicitly denied the existence of a longer version of the National Security Strategy, insisting that the publicly released 33-page official version "has no alternative, private, or classified version." Nevertheless, several national security experts stated that they believe the C5 concept has practical significance for the current US administration. Former White House National Security Council European Affairs Director Tori Taussig stated, "This aligns with the way we know President Trump views the world—abandoning ideology and favoring cooperation with other major powers that maintain regional influence." She pointed out that the C5 concept's omission of Europe "I think this will lead Europeans to believe that this administration sees Russia as the primary power with a sphere of influence in Europe." Trump, in an interview on the 8th, again criticized Europe as "weak." The Trump administration has never stopped criticizing Europe.

Last week, the US released a new National Security Strategy document, blasting Europe as a region "in economic recession and facing civilizational extinction," causing dissatisfaction and concern among European countries. In an interview on the 8th, Trump again attacked European leaders, accusing them of being "weak and incompetent," and vowing to "reshape European politics." Politico also mentioned that the Trump administration had previously considered new power structures, such as proposing the US-China G2 concept. In response, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated on October 31st that China and the US should interact positively on the regional and international stage. The world still faces many challenges, and China and the US can jointly demonstrate their responsibility as major powers and work together to accomplish more significant, practical, and beneficial things for both countries and the world. Guo Jiakun pointed out that China has always pursued an independent foreign policy of peace.As the largest developing country, a partner of the Non-Aligned Movement, and a member of the Global South, China has always stood with the vast majority of developing countries. It will continue to practice genuine multilateralism, work with all countries to safeguard the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, abide by the UN Charter and the basic norms of international relations, promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization, and inject more certainty and stability into the world.