At the SCO summit in Tianjin, global headlines were made when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shared a rare triple handshake and huddle. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hailed the moment as a symbol of the strengthening RIC (Russia-India-China) troika, saying the three great civilizations are aware of their common interests. He emphasized that the partnership focuses on economic growth, solving social issues, and improving living standards. Lavrov revealed that Moscow is preparing a new RIC format, starting with foreign ministers and potentially leading to a special summit. The unity among India, Russia, and China signals a deeper shift in global power balances, overshadowing even the official SCO agenda of security and economic cooperation. With Modi, Putin, and Xi visibly warming ties, is a new geopolitical bloc taking shape to challenge US-led dominance?