The World According to Trump, Putin, and Xi: Newsweek Drew the Map, We Decipher It

Journalists from Newsweek created a map that imagines the world divided among three powers: the USA (Trump), Russia (Putin), and China (Xi). This geopolitical "triumvirate" looks provocative — but if you think carefully, each part of the puzzle carries its own internal logic.

1. The USA: Canada and Greenland — yes. Mexico and Central America — unlikely.

The American doctrine, going back to the Monroe Doctrine, has always viewed the Western Hemisphere as its natural sphere of influence. Canada is a natural partner; Greenland is a strategic outpost. This makes perfect sense.
However, when it comes to Mexico and Central America — doubts arise. Even today, without formal annexation, the U.S. struggles to manage migration and to maintain its own social safety net. Adding tens of millions of impoverished people would be a prohibitively expensive project.
The more realistic scenario is not integration, but protectorate status — controlling security, politics, and trade without full incorporation.

2. Russia: Absorbing Europe — more reality than fiction, but Turkey will stand its ground.

Amid modern threats, Russia is indeed tightening its grip on Europe — and not just militarily. Europe, surprisingly, remains relaxed. In response to Russian aggression, it speaks more about "human rights" and "climate policies" than about tanks and armies.
Values have shifted: instead of courage and sacrifice, compromise and liberal discourse dominate.
European societies want peace at any cost, even the cost of surrender.
The absence of a mobilization culture and real armies leaves Europe extremely vulnerable. Ukraine has become the barrier — but for how long?
Today, most European countries cannot even field 100,000 combat-ready soldiers.
Thus, the prospect of creeping Russian expansion into Europe is highly realistic, unless the West drastically rethinks its priorities.

However, Russia will not have an easy time with Turkey.
Turkey has one of the strongest and most battle-hardened armies in the region. Its mountainous border terrain, seasoned military tradition, and strategic autonomy make it a formidable opponent.
Russia would find it nearly impossible to overpower Turkey — especially in a defensive war on rough terrain.
Moreover, Turkey is poised to establish its own sphere of influence over Syria and Iraq, stepping in as a guarantor of Levantine security.
In the emerging world order, Turkey will not be a passive player but an active regional hegemon in its own right.

3. China: Southeast Asia — yes. India — no.

China is gradually, but steadily, drawing Southeast Asia into its orbit. Trade ties, infrastructure projects, and diplomatic pressure are all working in Beijing’s favor.
However, India is a different story. It is a civilization of over a billion people with its own imperial ambitions.
India’s army is comparable in size to China’s and is determined to remain an independent superpower.
India is already forging alliances with the West, Japan, and Australia to counterbalance China.
On Xi Jinping’s map, India should not be colored yellow, but rather gray — the color of an uncertain future battlefield.

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Forecast for 2030:

If the world continues along its current trajectory without a serious strategic awakening:

• The U.S. will consolidate its dominance over North America and establish protectorate zones over Central and South America, securing economic dominance but struggling with internal socio-economic strains.

• Russia will expand its influence over a paralyzed Europe, turning the continent into a passive buffer zone.

• China will dominate Southeast Asia economically and politically, but will face an existential rivalry with India — a clash that could shape the balance of power in the entire Eurasian continent.

In this emerging reality, only those who prepare today will be sovereign tomorrow.
The rest will be merely zones of influence, drawn on someone else’s map.