Trump punishes allies, excludes Russia | what US President’s tariffs reveal about his politics

Donald Trump has thrown the global economy into chaos with an unprecedented “reciprocal tariff” policy targeting 185 countries and territories. Asian markets tanked, Dow Jones futures plummeted, and investors worldwide are scrambling to assess the damage. But in this sweeping tariff war, one major country is conspicuously missing—Russia. Why has Trump exempted Moscow while slapping tariffs on allies like Canada, Japan, and the European Union? The White House claims U.S. sanctions already limit trade with Russia, but that logic doesn’t explain why tiny nations like Mauritius and Brunei made the list. Is this about trade, or is it a geopolitical power play? With Trump’s shifting stance on Ukraine and his past praise for Putin, is the world witnessing a quiet realignment of global alliances? Could this be the beginning of a new kind of war—one where the U.S. and Russia are on the same side? Ananya Dutta decodes in this episode of Grey Zone.