Art of the Deal: The Secret Pact Between the U.S., China, and Russia
The intricate convergence of Trump’s financial dealings, rising nationalism, and strategic reordering of the international system signals an era where states may place short-term domestic gains and strongman leadership over shared global governance. While power centers realign, the sustainability of such arrangements is far from guaranteed. Tensions between and within the spheres—driven by cultural, ethnic, or economic strains—could flare at any moment after Trump’s term, complicating visions of “peace deals” or lasting denuclearization.
In this environment, understanding the complexities of how political figures, private capital, and emerging technologies intersect is vital. Both Trump Media and $TRUMP meme coin provides a microcosm of the larger forces at play: a blend of speculative finance, partisan loyalty, and foreign entanglements, all wrapped in a nationalist narrative. It exemplifies the challenges of holding powerful individuals and entities accountable in a fractured, tri-sphere world.
A powerful shift is underway in global politics, marked by the resurgence of geneticism that fuels nationalist ideology.
In this worldview, nations prioritize cultural and ethnic identity as a means to reinforce domestic unity. (This approach is exemplified by the recent removal of Vivek Ramaswamy from his administrative role after he made controversial remarks suggesting that American identity is founded on ideas rather than on bloodlines.)
Consequently, these governments turn away from multilateral frameworks, reconfiguring their policies around purely national interests.
Within this context, Donald Trump’s posture toward Russia and China appears notably accommodating, a stance that parallels the financial dealings of Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) and the emergence of the $TRUMP meme coin.
Meanwhile, the United States focuses on curbing illegal immigration at its southern border, Russia justifies its incursion into Ukraine, and China asserts dominance over its neighbors. These moves shore up domestic support and feed a narrative that “outside forces” threaten national sovereignty.
Simultaneously, many multinational organizations working counter to these nationalist agendas—especially those opposing Russian influence—are slowly being sidelined or expelled. On the digital front, controversies over social media platforms reflect a growing desire by governments to monitor and control domestic narratives. Notably, Trump famously threatened to ban TikTok yet ultimately intervened to allow it to continue operating—an emblem of his dual approach of publicly confronting Chinese tech while striking behind-the-scenes deals.
All of this signals a worldwide retreat from multilateralism and a pivot toward regions of concentrated power: the United States in the Americas and Middle East, Russia in Europe and Central Asia, and China in Asia (and increasingly in Africa).
Sleight of Hand: Trump's Tactics
Beyond these grand shifts, a subtler but crucial maneuver underpins Trump’s strategy—a calculated sleight of hand. By employing techniques such as scapegoating and distraction, metapragmatic gaslighting, repetitive falsehoods, information overload (“flood the zone”), and the use of conditional language, Trump deftly deflects scrutiny from core policy failures.
This multifaceted approach not only shifts blame onto adversaries but also allows him to maintain tight control over the public narrative. Moreover, while foreign capital—primarily from China and Russia—constitutes roughly 20–25% of funding in his new ventures, domestic support accounts for the remaining 75–80%. This financial ratio, though typical in modern political financing, is leveraged to create a façade of complete nationalist independence while quietly benefiting from external investments.
Financial Ties to Russia and China: Trump Media & Technology Group
1. The DWAC–TMTG Merger
• Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) entered public markets via a merger with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), Digital World Acquisition Corp. (DWAC).
• The formation of DWAC was facilitated by a Shanghai-based firm known for listing Chinese companies in the United States.
• This raised immediate questions about the extent of China-linked funding in a venture that promotes a nationalist American brand.
2. Crypto Investments from Chinese Financiers
• A prominent Chinese crypto entrepreneur provided a significant sum to a platform tied to Trump’s business ventures.
• In addition, some Trump-affiliated initiatives reportedly utilized Chinese blockchain technology.
The $TRUMP meme coin was launched ahead of Trump’s 2025 presidential inauguration as a patriotic investment but rapidly spiraled into a speculative frenzy—soaring from $0.18 to over $75 before collapsing, with early entrants (including Chinese investors) reaping enormous profits.
The coin’s active promotion on niche Chinese crypto exchanges—timed closely with Trump’s aggressive rhetoric on Taiwan—illustrates how China-linked capital can quietly underpin Trump’s media operations, even as his historical business ties with Russia add another layer of complexity.
3. Russian-Linked Loans
• An undisclosed multimillion-dollar loan from entities tied to the Russian government became the subject of federal probes into possible money laundering and securities violations.
• TMTG’s lack of transparency about these transactions highlights a pattern in Trump’s dealings where foreign capital aligns with policy stances favoring the source nations.
4. SEC Filings
• TMTG’s amended registration documents disclosed few details on foreign investors and financials, prompting regulators to question whether the company’s leadership withheld the extent of Chinese or Russian state-linked funding.
• The collapse of a substantial portion of originally pledged private investment further demonstrated the fragility of TMTG’s funding base.
• Additionally, new disclosures reveal that nearly one-quarter of the current private placement capital originates from Chinese and Russian-affiliated sources.
• This represents a significant part of the now-reduced total of less than $500 million—down from the originally promised $1 billion.
• This concentration of foreign-linked funds further magnifies concerns that TMTG’s financing may hinge on policy decisions favorable to those external interests.
Soft Policy Stances and Geneticist Nationalism
1. Leniency Toward Russia
• Trump’s history of delaying or minimizing sanctions against Russia contrasts sharply with bipartisan pressures to penalize Moscow for cyberattacks, election interference, and military aggression.
• This reluctance to confront the Kremlin dovetails with undisclosed Russian-linked loans, raising the specter of financial interests influencing national policy.
2. Ambiguity in China Policy and the Taiwan Factor
• While Trump frequently criticized China during trade disputes, key Chinese financiers remained integral to TMTG’s growth.
• Trump’s stance on Taiwan was at times strikingly tough and vocal, particularly in the months before the 2024 election; he publicly lambasted Beijing’s military maneuvers near the island and threatened increased arms sales to Taipei—moves designed to showcase American strength.
• Paradoxically, this high-profile toughness occurred nearly simultaneously with the pre-inauguration launch of the $TRUMP meme coin, which benefited from substantial Chinese investment.
• Observers noted that within weeks of Trump’s fiery Taiwan rhetoric, Chinese traders emerged as some of the biggest winners in the meme coin’s dramatic price surge. This sequence underscores the complex interplay between Trump’s populist posturing and the quiet channels of foreign funding that fuel his ventures.
3. Geneticism as a Rallying Cry
• Nationalist platforms in the United States, Russia, and China share a common thread: emphasis on a specific cultural or ethnic identity to fortify domestic support.
• In the U.S., the focus on halting illegal immigration embodies this stance.
• In Russia, protecting “Russian-speaking peoples” in former Soviet states justifies military incursions.
• In China, historical and civilizational claims underpin regional ambitions, including maritime territories and relations with Taiwan.
The Emerging Tripartite World Order
The global structure is increasingly divided among three power centers: the United States asserting dominance in the Western Hemisphere and extending influence into the Middle East, Russia expanding in Europe and Central Asia, and China consolidating power in Asia and Africa.
1. The United States and Hemispheric & Middle East Dominance
Recent trade deals and tightened border security highlight a trend of consolidating Western Hemisphere control—from Greenland down through Panama—while forging deeper ties to the Middle East. Washington’s robust military presence and alliances in the region reinforce this new sphere, focusing on energy resources and strategic partnerships.
2. Russia’s European and Central Asian Sphere
After forging critical energy deals, Russia holds sway over nations dependent on its natural gas. Military buildups along eastern European borders deepen its influence, while agreements with Central Asian republics reinforce a historical claim to regional leadership.
3. China’s Expansion into Asia and Africa
China’s massive infrastructure investments, technological self-sufficiency programs, and assertive military posture anchor its position as an Asian hegemon. Following the withdrawal of substantial USAID operations from Africa, Beijing rapidly stepped into the gap with extensive loans and development projects. These initiatives solidify China’s standing as a prime influencer across large portions of the African continent.
4. Denuclearization, Peace Talks, and Frictions
Washington, Moscow, and Beijing have recently signaled openness to negotiated denuclearization steps, tying each phase to economic or diplomatic concessions. Discussions of peace in Ukraine and the broader European theater point to selective cooperation among these powers, though tensions remain high over issues like India’s non-alignment and its rivalry with China. Trump’s tough talk toward India, coupled with his dismissive characterization of BRICS as “dead,” further reveals the fraying of any multinational bloc that does not serve the immediate interests of each hegemon.
Erosion of Multinationalism
1. Suppressing Multinational Organizations
As geneticist-driven nationalism gains ground among major powers, organizations and NGOs advocating global cooperation increasingly find themselves marginalized. Governments that once participated in expansive multilateral efforts are retreating into narrower, regional alliances.
2. Domestic Consolidation and Media Control
Trump’s notable move to “save” TikTok from an outright U.S. ban, despite repeated threats, reflects a careful balancing act: appearing tough on China to placate domestic political constituencies while keeping an influential media platform operational. This mirrors the broader clampdown on external information channels—only those outlets or platforms deemed strategically beneficial are allowed to remain.
3. BRICS and Other Coalitions
Trump’s pronouncement that “BRICS is dead” underscores the erosion of broad-based multilateral alliances. While Russia and China remain potent individually, the notion of them collaborating with nations like India, Brazil, or South Africa as a unified front has faded. Instead, each major power is preoccupied with its own sphere, effectively hollowing out structures like BRICS that sought to present a collective alternative to Western-dominated institutions.
Under the influence of geneticist nationalism, the United States, Russia, and China have pivoted toward hard regional dominance, sidelining broader multilateral systems. Donald Trump’s lenient rhetoric on Russia and China, juxtaposed with behind-the-scenes deals, financial dependencies, and the emergence of the $TRUMP meme coin, reflects these global realignments. Recent peace talk overtures and denuclearization discussions among the three powers underscore that while they may cooperate selectively, the overriding trend is an increasingly fractured planet.
Trump’s outward toughness toward Taiwan even as Chinese capital floods his ventures—coupled with moves like preserving TikTok—reveals a nuanced but often contradictory approach. These developments have paved the way for a three-bloc world, where multinational entities that fail to serve the immediate interests of dominant nations wither or disband.