G-zero world

Law of the jungle! The G7 (Group of Seven) is dead. The G20 (Group of Twenty) has crumbled into irrelevance. Multilateralism? A relic of a bygone era. Eight more days to Trump’s inauguration. Might now rules supreme. Welcome to the G-zero world – a chaotic free-for-all where global leadership is absent. Every nation for itself. A dog-eat-dog world, where transactional diplomacy is in, and power dictates terms.

President Xi Jinping, steering the world's second-largest, $18 trillion economy, is neck-deep into China’s escalating financial challenges. President Xi’s focus remains firmly on national security and consolidating domestic political control. Meanwhile, in Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, leading a $4.7 trillion economy, has lost a vote of confidence in the Bundestag, resulting in the collapse of his government. Germany’s political turmoil sets the stage for populist, far-right parties to gain ground in the upcoming federal elections. Similarly, in Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party, which governs a $4 trillion economy, has lost its majority, leaving newly appointed Prime Minister Shigeru in a precarious position with an uncertain and likely brief tenure (Top Risks 2025).

In just eight days, the media-savvy, populist, and unpredictable Donald Trump, championing his 'America First' agenda, will take the oath of office as the 45th president of the United States. President Trump, backed by Republican control of the White House, the House of Representatives, and the Senate, is poised to wield unprecedented political power. His cabinet, unprecedented in its wealth, includes 13 billionaires tasked with steering the $29 trillion US economy.

The US economy, underpinned by robust growth and a record-breaking stock market, provides Trump with a solid foundation to pursue his bold and aggressive policies. Surging corporate profits, coupled with unmatched technological domination driving innovation, Trump is well-positioned to project strength both domestically and globally. This economic resilience and technological edge empowers Trump to take calculated risks on the international stage, aiming to reshape the global order in alignment with his vision.

Trump, true to his unconventional style, has refused to rule out the use of military force to assert US interests in strategically significant regions like the Panama Canal and even Greenland, signaling a potentially aggressive approach to global geopolitics. The Trump presidency promises to challenge established norms, keeping allies and adversaries alike on edge.

With just eight days until President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House, his 'first buddy' is already shaking up the political landscape abroad. In a single word, the billionaire has made waves by calling for a freeze on foreign aid to Pakistan, citing the UK’s grooming gangs scandal (First Post).

Pakistan cannot afford to dismiss the serious implications of a US administration driven by a billionaire-dominated cabinet and a leader unafraid to disrupt the global status quo. Trump's aggressive stance and willingness to link foreign aid to contentious issues signal a shift toward purely transactional diplomacy, where actions, not alliances, dictate outcomes. In this G-zero world, Pakistan must recognise the stakes and proactively engage with this administration to safeguard its interests, as indifference or miscalculation could have far-reaching consequences.

The writer is a columnist based in Islamabad. He tweets/posts @saleemfarrukh and can be reached at: farrukh15@hotmail.com