The New Global “Gold” Order

The United States aims to dismantle an order it built over decades and is now betting on a redistribution of the world among major powers. For the last decades, the U.S. constructed and upheld a unipolar world order, where its leadership was unquestionable and its political, economic, and military influence shaped the global playing field. However, the new administration under Donald Trump appears determined to break this structure apart and replace it with a questionable redistribution of power among competing nations. This transformation responds to an undeniable reality: the world no longer revolves around a single superpower.

The statement made by the new Secretary of State of the USA, Marco Rubio, in a recent interview, makes this clear:

“It is not normal for the world to simply have a unipolar power. That was an anomaly, a product of the end of the Cold War.”(Willow, 2025).

With this, the White House hints that its foreign policy will no longer be focused on maintaining U.S. supremacy at all costs, but rather on redefining its role within a more balanced distribution of power.

The past few weeks have been key to understanding this shift. Washington has signaled its intention to approach Moscow to discuss the war in Ukraine, bypassing NATO, which highlights a clear departure from traditional collective security mechanisms. At the same time, the tense meeting between Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky exposed the U.S. administration’s lack of willingness to continue funding the conflict. With this, American interventionist policies are being reduced, leaving regional powers.

The New Imperialism

The phrase “Make America Great Again,” the core of Trump’s campaign that brought him back to the White House, not only aims to strengthen the nation internally but also introduces new dynamics in its foreign policy approach. In a short period, the president has implemented protectionist measures aimed at shielding domestic industries from foreign competition, which has generated friction with historical allies such as Canada, Mexico, and the European Union.

Tariffs have been this administration’s preferred weapon, used not only as an economic safeguard but also as a geopolitical pressure tool. According to  the analyst Jimenez the U.S. has launched “a kind of commercial war against the entire world” rewriting global trade rules in its favor (Jimenez, 2025). This approach has triggered mixed reactions: some countries have attempted to resist, while others have given in to U.S. demands.

Photo by Pau Casals on Unsplash

Trump’s protectionism echoes policies implemented in the late 19th century under President William McKinley. At that time, the United States combined a strategy of territorial expansion with high tariffs to consolidate its economy (Yunes, 2025). While Trump does not appear to be pursuing traditional territorial expansion, he has made a few notable attempts, such as proposing to purchase strategic locations like Greenland or seeking control over it. Moreover, he has revived economic influence as a tool for dominance, establishing a new kind of imperialism based on market control and financial pressure. 

Beyond trade, Trump has made it clear that he is uninterested in upholding the multilateralism that defined U.S. foreign policy in the 20th century. The withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the departure from the WHO, and constant threats to reduce NATO funding are signs of a strategic retreat. For the president, these organizations represent unnecessary burdens that do not directly benefit national interests. (Vidal, 2025)

From Unipolarity to Multipolarity

For more than 30 years, U.S. supremacy was an unquestionable fact. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Washington remained the undisputed arbiter of international politics. However, that era appears to be coming to an end. The rise of China as an economic powerhouse and Russia’s resurgence on the geopolitical stage have eroded the American hegemony.

This paradigm shift does not imply a total abandonment of global leadership but rather a redefinition of its scope. Instead of acting as the sole guarantor of international order, the U.S. seeks to establish itself as one of several powers with distinct interests.

Under this logic, Washington prioritizes bilateral agreements over multilateral organizations, fosters tactical alliances rather than permanent commitments, and places economic sovereignty above global stability. Washington puts its interests first. As Trump stated: America first.

Reflection

The multipolarity promoted by the White House is, in a sense, a recognition of international reality. The idea of a world governed by a single superpower is no longer viable. However, its transition could be risky, as the emerging scenario is marked by competition among great powers pursuing their own interests, increasing the likelihood of economic and military conflicts. The absence of a global arbitrator in an anarchic world could weaken dispute resolution mechanisms. Or, perhaps, the lack of support from a superpower like the U.S. could fuel conflict.

The emerging global framework will significantly rely on the responses of state actors, as there is now a governance vacuum in international affairs. It will be interesting to see how emerging powers react and whether, at the end of the tunnel, shared leadership promotes stability. It will also be intriguing to see if the U.S. strategy achieves its objectives or if countries finally manage to break free from dependence on Washington.

The unfortunate reality, however, is that in a world increasingly deteriorated by climate change, a paradigm shifts that fosters competition rather than cooperation makes it less likely that humanity will effectively address a crisis that affects everyone. 

Bibliography

1- Jimenez, M. (2025). Trump ordena poner en marcha aranceles a la Unión Europea como represalia por el IVA | Internacional | EL PAÍS. https://elpais.com/internacional/2025-02-13/trump-aprueba-poner-en-marcha-aranceles-a-la-union-europea-como-represalia-por-el-iva.html

2- Vidal, M. (2025). Trump’s new world order: Goodbye to international agreements, hello to isolationism | U.S. | EL PAÍS English. EL PAIS. https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-01-22/trumps-new-world-order-goodbye-to-international-agreements-hello-to-isolationism.html

3- Willow, T. (2025). Rubio’s multipolar worldview: A refreshing reset for U.S. foreign policy. NEWSTARGET. https://www.newstarget.com/2025-02-06-rubios-multipolar-worldview-refreshing-reset-us-foreign-policy.html

4- Yunes, M. (2025). Trump 2.0 y los cambios en el imperialismo yanqui (y global)—Izquierda Web. https://izquierdaweb.com/trump-2-0-y-los-cambios-en-el-imperialismo-yanqui-y-global/