Trump's America-first world is pushing other powers to hedge their bets

TIANJIN, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 01: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin(L) and Chinese President Xi jinping ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 at the Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Centre on September 1, 2025 in Tianjin, China. (Photo by Suo Takekuma - Pool/Getty Images)Pool | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesWhen Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi were together in China last year, images of the three leaders smiling, holding hands and chatting animatedly went viral.This weekend, they meet again in New Delhi against an increasingly complicated geopolitical backdrop.India is hosting leaders of BRICS, a grouping of major emerging economies seeking greater influence in a global system long dominated by the U.S. and other Western powers. Xi, Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are among those expected to attend alongside Modi.The U.S. and Israel are at war with Iran, Washington continues to push Moscow toward a deal to end the war in Ukraine, and U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies have disrupted relationships with allies and riv...