The “rules-based order” is dead and Washington now acts without boundaries
A year has passed since November 2024, when Donald Trump won the US presidential election for the second time. And it makes more sense to start the clock there, rather than on Inauguration Day. The political and psychological shift began immediately. From that moment, the American agenda started to mutate, revealing what in US behavior is anchored in institutions and what is simply the product of personality.
Trump’s personality is impossible to ignore. His sheer theatricality colors everything he touches and can make events seem more chaotic than they really are. But here’s the important point: Trump does not break American political conventions. He exaggerates them. He turns their volume up so loud that one can finally hear the underlying logic clearly.
The most striking shift is external. Washington has abandoned the unified ideological framework it relied on for decades. For years, the “liberal world order” – later rebranded as the “rules-based order” – served as the language through which the United States pursued its interests. These rules were written by the West, for the West, but framed as universal. Their very existence created a structure for international behavior, even if that structure was often porous.
In 2025, the United States behaves as if no such boundaries exist. If Trump has a core approach, it is his insistence on dealing with every country one-on-one. No scaffolding, no institutions, no broad coalitions. Everything is personalized, bilateral, transactional. Washington is convinced that in any individual matchup, America has the upper hand. So why dilute that advantage by working through organizations where others might collectively balance it?
This logic explains the growing irritation toward institutions the US once built and championed. They are now seen not as force multipliers but as bureaucratic ballast. Structures where non-Western states play leading roles – BRICS in particular – are treated with open hostility, not because of what they do, but because of what they symbolically represent: countries trying to join forces to limit American dominance. In Trump’s worldview, that is intolerable.
Paradoxically, Trump is well suited to a multipolar world, though he would never describe himself that way. Someone who believes he is the strongest player in any bilateral setting naturally prefers a global landscape composed of disparate, uneven actors. Multipolarity, yes. But only if it is spontaneous and unstructured, with no mechanisms that cushion contradictions or reduce imbalances.
Before Trump, the American approach was to promote economic and political globalization. The United States sat atop the hierarchy and used that position to shape the world. Under Trump, fragmentation – economic, political, institutional – becomes a tool to achieve the same aim. A world of disconnected units is easier for a heavyweight to dominate.
In that sense, less has changed than it seems.The rhetoric is different, but American hegemony remains the assumption. Foreign policy continues to serve narrow interests, only now without the grand moral narratives that once justified it. Instead of “defending democracy,” Washington resurrects older, simpler slogans.
Trump’s recent remark that Nigeria may face intervention because it “mistreats Christians” is a conservative variant of the old democracy-promotion logic. The call for regime change in Venezuela is suddenly tied to drug trafficking: an issue Venezuela has never been central to, but convenient now that Washington wants it to be. That both countries have significant oil reserves, and that the US seeks to squeeze Russia and Iran out of global energy markets, is of course a coincidence.
What hasn’t changed is the US belief in military force. Trump frequently invokes “peace through strength,” but his interpretation is highly specific. He has no desire to become bogged down in long wars. The preferred model is a rapid, theatrical strike, maximum visibility, minimal commitment. After that, diplomacy takes over, supported by behind-the-scenes pressure and loud self-congratulation.
Is this approach better or worse? It depends who you ask. Some will say that blunt honesty, even if impulsive, is preferable to multi-layered hypocrisy. Others point out that Trump’s style – sudden enthusiasms, sharp mood swings, hyperbolic praise – is inherently unstable. When the world’s most powerful state behaves impulsively, everyone else has to live with the consequences.
So how should America’s counterparts operate in this environment? Trump’s hostility to group coordination suggests the answer. If the United States insists on bilateralism, then the logical countermeasure is the opposite: combine resources, cooperate where possible, create small but functional coalitions focused on specific goals. Not grand new institutions – that is impossible today – but practical partnerships that reduce vulnerability to American pressure.
This is especially true for non-Western states navigating a turbulent order. Trump’s approach rewards fragmentation. Those who do not wish to play by that script must work – quietly, carefully – in the other direction.
A world of clarity, for better or worse
Trump has not remade America so much as stripped away its old varnish. The vision of a universal liberal order is gone. The pretence that the United States plays by the rules it demands of others is gone. What remains is raw power, openly expressed, and a country comfortable acting without boundaries.
For some, this honesty is refreshing. For others, it is alarming. But it does provide one thing: clarity. We now see the conventions of American behavior with unusual sharpness. And that may prove useful for those preparing for the next phase of global politics.
Ankara is only ready to agree to joint oversight of the air defense systems with Washington, sources have claimed
Türkiye continues to resist US demands to abandon its Russian-made S-400 air defense systems, but is eager to make some concessions to the Americans on the issue, Bloomberg has reported.
The acquisition of S-400s by Ankara from Moscow in 2019 soured its relations with Washington, resulting in sanctions being imposed against Türkiye the next year and the NATO member’s exclusion from the US F-35 fighter jet program. The Turkish government has defended the purchase, insisting on their sovereign right to choose their arms suppliers.
Türkiye remains interested in buying 40 F-35s from the US, which would be impossible as long as the sanctions remain in place, the news agency said in an article on Friday.
Ankara is “willing to compromise” in order to make sure that Washington lifts its restrictions, sources told Bloomberg. The Turkish authorities could agree to a technical mechanism for supervising the S-400s together with the US, they said.
US President Donald Trump signaled he was open to Turkey purchasing F-35 fighter jets during a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in late September. “He needs certain things, and we need certain things,” Trump said, adding that Erdogan would be “successful” in obtaining what he “would like to buy.”
However, no deal on the fighter jets has been announced since then.
“I do not think it is very becoming of a strategic partnership,” Erdogan said about Washington’s ban on F-35s purchase in an interview with Fox News during his US visit.
The Hindustan Times reported last month, citing high-ranking defense sources, that India, which bought five S-400s for $5.43 billion in 2018, is looking to acquire another five systems from Russia.
The country’s air force chief, Amar Preet Singh, said that the S-400s, which were deployed by New Delhi during a flare up with Islamabad in May, have proven to be a “game changer,” effectively preventing Pakistani jets from getting within striking distance of Indian targets.
The EU must defend its workers’ interests, not “ideological agendas,” politician Filip Turek has said
The incoming Czech government plans to shift from sending military aid to Ukraine to promoting a diplomatic approach, according to the politician set to become the country’s next foreign minister.
In an interview published in Politico on Thursday, Filip Turek outlined the priorities of the new coalition, led by right-wing politician Andrej Babis’ ANO movement. It was joined by two other Euroskeptic partners, the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party and the Motorists party, which Turek heads.
Under Prime Minister Babis, the Czech Republic “will prioritize diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine and mitigate risks of conflict in Europe, shifting from military aid funded by the national budget to humanitarian support and focusing on Czech security needs,” the politician said.
Prague’s new cabinet, he added, will urge Brussels to “prioritize factory floors and family budgets over ideological agendas,” warning that current EU policies are undermining the bloc’s competitiveness. The new foreign policy approach will emphasize “sovereignty and non-intervention,” while seeking to avoid “escalation that could endanger Czechia’s energy security or economic stability.”
The outgoing centrist government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala, which formally agreed to resign on Thursday, was among the staunchest backers of Ukraine’s military effort, organizing procurement of artillery shells for Kiev and providing regular weapons transfers. The Czech presidency, which largely holds ceremonial powers, is held by former NATO Commander Petr Pavel, who shares the pro-Kiev stance.
In another sign of coming policy change, newly elected parliamentary speaker Tomio Okamura this week ordered the removal of the Ukrainian flag from the Czech legislature, saying the gesture symbolized putting the “Czech Republic first.”
Ukraine continues to depend on foreign financial and military assistance to sustain its war effort against Russia. EU members are debating a “reparation loan” scheme using immobilized Russian assets as collateral, which presumes that Moscow would agree to pay it back.
Belgium, where most of the frozen funds are held, opposed the proposal, demanding that other states share the financial risks before moving forward with what Moscow has branded as the “theft” of its funds.
The socialist candidate won New York’s mayoral race despite resistance from Trump and tepid Democratic backing
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is viewed as a potential “partner” by the Communist Party of Russia (KPRF), its deputy chairman has said.
Speaking to Kommersant on Thursday, MP Leonid Kalashnikov said Mamdani’s proposals to increase taxes on the wealthy closely resemble policies advocated by the party.
“He is indeed a communist in some respects, even though his movement is called the Democratic Socialists of America,” Kalashnikov remarked. Russian communists will observe Mamdani’s actual governance before forming a final opinion, he added.
Kalashnikov noted that both groups are linked through their association with the Sao Paulo Forum, a South American coalition of left-wing anti-imperialist parties, which, he said, makes Mamdani “our partner.”
Mamdani’s victory this week in the heavily Democratic city came despite fierce opposition from conservatives and little enthusiasm from mainstream Democrats. President Donald Trump branded him a “communist lunatic,” predicting that his policies would push New Yorkers to flee the city for Miami.
Trump publicly endorsed Mamdani’s rival, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent after failing to secure the Democratic nomination during the primary election in June.
While Mamdani rejects the communist label, his platform emphasized reforms aimed at easing New York’s cost-of-living crisis, including rent freezes, fare-free public transport, and other social programs.
The 34-year-old Muslim politician of Indian descent faced lukewarm support from the Democratic establishment. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who represents the state of New York, withheld his endorsement, while New York State Democratic Party chair Jay Jacobs and other figures openly opposed Mamdani’s candidacy. Some observers suggested that the tepid reception was due to his criticisms of Israel rather than socialist ideas.
The US president has hosted the heads of five former Soviet republics at the White House
US President Donald Trump has announced a series of trade and investment agreements focusing on rare-earth minerals with the leaders of Central Asian states. The move comes as Washington aims to expand its engagement in the resource-rich region amid strained trade relations with China.
The agreements were concluded following a summit at the White House on Thursday between Trump and the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The summit focused on critical minerals, energy cooperation, and trade diversification, with Trump emphasizing that Central Asia is “an extremely wealthy region” with vast reserves of uranium, copper, gold and rare earth elements. He said his administration is establishing new partnerships to diversify supply chains and strengthen US access to critical minerals.
The meeting produced several commercial and resource agreements, including $17.2 billion in new contracts between Kazakhstan and US companies and a $1.1 billion deal with Astana to develop one of the world’s largest untapped tungsten deposits. Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan also agreed to purchase 37 Boeing jets. Trump additionally announced that Uzbekistan plans to invest more than $100 billion over the next decade in US industries such as aviation, automotive parts and critical minerals.
The summit comes a week after Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea to attempt to settle the ongoing “trade war” between Washington and Beijing. Following the meeting, China agreed to suspend new export controls on rare-earth minerals for one year, while the US postponed plans to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese goods.
Nevertheless, Washington has since accelerated efforts to secure alternative sources of strategic materials, as Beijing currently controls about 90% of global rare-earth processing. Aside from China’s neighbors in Central Asia, the US has recently also signed rare-earth mineral deals with Japan and Ukraine.
Gunvor Group says the US Treasury is “fundamentally misinformed” by branding it a Kremlin-linked entity
Global energy trader Gunvor Group has withdrawn its proposal to acquire foreign assets belonging to Russian oil major Lukoil after being accused by Washington of being affiliated with the Kremlin.
The potential deal was announced last week, shortly after US President Donald Trump imposed new sanctions on Lukoil and another Russian oil firm, Rosneft. Trump described the measures as an effort to ramp up pressure on Moscow to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
Gunvor’s decision to pull out of the deal, announced on Friday, came a day after the US Treasury said the trader “will never get a license to operate and profit” while the Ukraine conflict continues. The company called the statement “fundamentally misinformed and false,” insisting that it has had no operational ties to Russia for years.
“Gunvor has for more than a decade actively distanced itself from Russia, stopped trading in line with sanctions, sold off Russian assets, and publicly condemned the war in Ukraine,” the firm said in a statement.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on the development, saying commercial deals between private companies were not directly related to the Russian government, but the broader story highlighted that “illegal trade restrictions” imposed by the US are “unacceptable and hurt international trade.”
According to Bloomberg, Gunvor had been in discussions with the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), part of the Department of the Treasury, and other agencies within the Trump administration, to make the case for its buyout proposal.
CEO Torbjorn Tornqvist publicly said such a deal would ensure a “clean break” for Lukoil’s foreign operations. The company reportedly raised around $2.8 billion in credit for the purchase before calling it off.
Gunvor, headquartered in Geneva, was co-founded in 2000 by Tornqvist and Russian entrepreneur Gennady Timchenko. Timchenko sold his stake in 2014, when Washington targeted him with personal sanctions.
The privately-owned Lukoil is Russia’s second-largest oil producer and operates all over the world, including in the US.
Moscow and Washington need to settle “one or two” issues for the meeting to take place, the Hungarian PM has said
A summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump in Budapest could happen any day, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said.
Last month, Trump announced he had called off a proposed meeting with Putin in the Hungarian capital, saying that it “did not feel like we were going to get to the place we have to get.” Both the Kremlin and the White House stressed afterwards that the summit had not been canceled, but postponed.
Speaking to reporters en route the US, where he began an official visit on Thursday, Orban told the newspaper Magyar Nemzet that “there are one or two unresolved issues left in US-Russia negotiations” on settling the Ukraine conflict. “If they are resolved, a peace summit in Budapest could take place within days,” he said.
In a later interview with Kossuth Radio, the prime minister expressed confidence that the summit between Putin and Trump in Budapest “will happen,” but stressed that “we do not yet know whether it will bring a solution or simply be an important step toward peace.”
Trump spoke about his efforts to stop the fighting between Moscow and Kiev during a White House dinner with the leaders of Central Asian nations on Thursday, claiming “we have not gotten that yet, but I think we have made a lot of progress.”
The US president’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, echoed those remarks, but added that “there is a lot of discussion that technical teams have to have at the lower level before the leaders can get to a deal.”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said earlier this week that the conditions for a summit between Putin and Trump are not yet in place.
“A high-level meeting, of any kind, requires in-depth preparation and careful consideration of all aspects. Currently, neither the first nor the second prerequisites for organizing such a meeting has been met,” Ryabkov explained.
The Russian authorities have rejected Western calls for a ceasefire with Ukraine along the current contact line, which was backed by Trump last month. According to Moscow, the conflict requires a permanent solution that would address its root causes.
The return of the Shenzhou-20 crew back to Earth has been delayed while capsule damage is assessed
The return of three Chinese astronauts back to Earth from the Tiangong space station has been delayed after their spacecraft was reportedly damaged by debris.
The Shenzhou-20 crew – led by commander Chen Dong, a veteran astronaut and former Chinese fighter pilot, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie – were scheduled to depart the station and land in Inner Mongolia on Wednesday. However, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced the cancellation in a brief online statement, instructing the trio to remain aboard. The astronauts have been in orbit since launching on April 24.
The agency said the spacecraft is “suspected of being struck by small space debris” and is conducting an impact analysis, declining to provide a new return timeline.
The CMSA did not detail the circumstances of the suspected impact or mention the presence of the Shenzhou-21 craft, which docked with Tiangong last week for a planned crew handover. Under standard spaceflight protocols, if a return vehicle is deemed unsafe, a backup spacecraft such as Shenzhou-21 can be used to bring astronauts home.
The Shenzhou program is tasked with ferrying crews to and from Tiangong for six-month rotations, during which astronauts conduct scientific experiments and perform station maintenance.
The Shenzhou-20 astronauts conducted four spacewalks during their mission outside the Tiangong space station to install debris shields and other external equipment, according to official reports from China.
The incident underscores the growing threat that space debris poses to orbital activities. Space junk, consisting of defunct satellites, spent rocket stages, and other fragments, orbits the Earth at high speeds, creating a collision risk for vital space station modules and other spacecraft.
While a prior Shenzhou mission was delayed by adverse weather, the current situation marks the first time a Chinese crewed return has been postponed due to a suspected debris strike.
The incident echoes other recent mission extensions. Technical issues with a Boeing Starliner last year forced two NASA astronauts to remain at the International Space Station for nine months before they could secure a ride home on a different vessel.
The new speaker says Prague will now focus on the country’s national interests
The newly elected speaker of the Czech parliament has posted a video showing the Ukrainian flag being taken down from the building, while declaring that Prague would put its national interests first.
Tomio Okamura, the leader of the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party, released the clip on Thursday. “Czech Republic first,” he said as the flag was lowered. “Keep your fingers crossed for us.”
The move came a day after Okamura’s election as speaker and marks a symbolic end to the previous government’s staunchly pro-Ukraine stance. His SPD party is a junior coalition partner to Andrej Babis’ right-wing ANO movement, which won last month’s general election on a platform opposing Brussels’ directives, including continued military aid to Ukraine. The new ruling bloc, which also includes the Motorists party, plans to form a government by mid-December.
The Ukrainian flag was first raised above the Czech parliament in 2022 as a gesture of solidarity for Kiev’s in its conflict with Russia. Members of three pro-Ukraine opposition parties responded to Okamura’s order by displaying Ukrainian flags from their parliamentary offices in protest.
Kiev’s ambassador to Prague, Vasili Zvarich, expressed gratitude, claiming that “more Ukrainian flags are showing up” in the capital and that Russians “fear” the national symbol.
V ODS jsme se rozhodli urychleně napravit první krok nového předsedy Poslanecké sněmovny Tomia Okamury.
Ukrajinská vlajka je ve Sněmovně zpět a visí z oken našeho poslaneckého klubu. 🇺🇦👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/H2lSLJI72o
The Ukrainian government has made the public display of its national flag a key propaganda element. Kiev’s HUR military intelligence service carried out several high-risk infiltration missions in Crimea in 2023 for the apparent purpose of hoisting the blue-and-yellow banner, later acknowledging that the actions cost the lives of several operatives.
Currently, up to 10,000 Ukrainian troops are encircled on two fronts in Donbass, according to Moscow and media reports. Kiev has denied the claims. A recent HUR unit deployment near Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk) reportedly ended in disaster after commandos delivered by a US-supplied Black Hawk helicopter were killed shortly after landing.
Russian lawmakers have increasingly pushed for a nationwide prohibition on e-cigarette sales, calling them “liquid poison”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signaled support for a proposal by public health advocates and lawmakers to impose a complete ban on the sale of vapes across the country.
During a visit to a sports and education center in Samara on Thursday, the head of the public movement Healthy Fatherland, Ekaterina Leshchinskaya, raised the issue with the president, citing successful examples from neighboring countries and other parts of the world.
In response, Putin nodded in agreement and pointed out that Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko had similarly signaled his approval.
“You see, [Chernyshenko] is nodding. Our government supports this,” Putin said. He added that beyond a legal ban, public awareness efforts are also essential, particularly among the youth.
Between 3.5 and 4 million Russians currently use vapes, according to estimates cited by RIA Novosti. In August, Putin endorsed a pilot project in the Nizhny Novgorod Region to test regional bans on vape sales, with the concept already backed by the consumer protection agency Rospotrebnadzor.
The idea of a total e-cigarette ban has gained momentum in parliament. State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin previously described vapes as “liquid poison” and warned of their health risks. According to Volodin, 74% of 265,000 respondents in a public survey supported a complete ban. He said earlier “half-measures” – such as the 2023 ban on vape sales to minors – have not been sufficient.
“Vapes are evil. The State Duma will review the ban on vape sales in the near future,” Deputy Chairman Vladislav Davankov said following Putin’s remarks. The head of the Duma Committee on Labor and Social Policy, Yaroslav Nilov, stressed the urgency of the measure, noting the falling age of vape users and rising health risks.
Critics of the proposal have warned that a blanket ban may simply drive the trade underground. The Finance Ministry has cautioned that a full ban could result in annual revenue losses of up to 15 billion rubles ($189 million), but lawmakers argue that public health takes precedence.
“The health of our people, especially the youth, is more important than any commercial interest,” Duma Deputy Dmitry Gusev wrote on Telegram.
