In his regular op-ed, Balazs Jarabik looks at how China positioned itself as the leader of a world beyond the West at the recent summit, while the U.S. stumbled. Trump’s failed approach pushed India closer to China, echoing Biden’s earlier missteps with Russia. BRICS remains a tactical alignment rather than a true alliance, but China, India, and Russia are increasingly shaping a new Eurasian order. Ukraine remains central, and with U.S. influence waning, the “dragon, elephant, and bear” are set to define a long, uncertain era for the West.