Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of Explainers about the forces and ideas currently propelling change in our world. My goal is not an exhaustive examination of the topic; rather, I want to share a summary so that all of us can better understand what is behind some of the current craziness.
Remember these statements by the Current Occupant?
- Make Canada the 51st state.
- Take Greenland away from Denmark.
- Invade Mexico
- Take back the Panama Canal
And of course, there is the recent statement that the United States is going to “run” Venezuela.
The rantings of a demented, declining narcissist? Or pieces of a larger, even more sinister plan?
Yes, both are true. But if we only chalk it up to the former, we will miss the underlying geo-political plan that Trump the puppet is being used to execute.
Eurasianism
Eurasianism is a Russian socio-political movement that sees Russia spanning much of Asia and Europe in terms of land mass, and in opposition to democracy and liberalism in terms of philosophies. One of its main proponents is Aleksandr Dugin, who has significant influence with Vladimir Putin. Eurasianism has been officially part of Russia’s foreign policy since 2023.
One of the goals of Eurasianism is for Russia to become once again the Russian Empire, taking over the countries that were once part of the Soviet Union as well as nations beyond those borders. Thus, while there are certainly multiple reasons for Russia to invade Ukraine, this desire to build “Greater Russia” is certainly one of them.
And what stands in the way of Putin building a Greater Russia? Two things:
- The rules-based international order that has been in place since World War II, which says that nations have the rights of self-rule and self-determination, and that forcibly taking control of another nation is illegal;
- And the NATO coalition, formed expressly to counter Russian expansionism.
Thus, making NATO weaker helps Putin’s long-term goals of expanding westward.
The Tri-Polar World
Eurasianism is part of a larger geo-political goal: to divide the world into three major spheres of influence, with three major powers in charge of each one:
- Russia for Russia and Europe
- China for Asia
- The United States for the entire western hemisphere (North and South America, including Greenland)
Trump recently announced that the U.S. would once again follow the Monroe Doctrine, which states that the United States would not interfere in European matters, and the other countries could not interfere in the western hemisphere.
In other words, the U.S. would become isolationist as regards Europe and Asia, and would take control of this hemisphere. What this looks like in practice remains to be seen, but intervention-by-force-or-threat seems to be the plan.
Thus, if China tries to take Taiwan, the U.S. won’t stop them. If Putin moves on Poland, NATO may try to stop him, but without any help from us.
And, you may say, what about Africa? As far as I can tell, the proponents of this tri-polar world see Africa as merely a source for raw materials.
What’s Next?
Unlike Hitler when he moved on Czechoslovakia, or even Putin at the start of the Ukraine invasion, Trump does not enjoy broad support in this country. If he tries to deploy troops in South America, he will face strong resistance from both Congress and everyday citizens.
In addition, the “wag the dog” aspect of the Venezuela operation is clear to many. Further efforts to distract from the Epstein files will be met with even more criticism.
Nevertheless, the goal of a tri-polar world remains in place. The Trump Administration’s National Security Strategy, released in December 2025, pulls back from Europe and elsewhere, and focuses on this hemisphere. The alliance-based, rules-based vision crafted after WWII is being jettisoned for an “every major country for itself” view of the world. It is an arrogant, myopic, and dangerous approach to world politics and power. We must hope that the next administration can rebuild that vision that prevented another world war for 80 years.
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