Recent high-profile events in Beijing, showcasing close cooperation between Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Russia, and North Korea, have provoked a sharp response from Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump has reacted with pronounced displeasure, publicly speaking of a burgeoning Russian-Chinese-North Korean “conspiracy” against the United States. This rhetoric has been matched by action, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirming that the Pentagon is actively preparing strategies to deter both Moscow and Beijing.
The summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and celebrations for the 80th anniversary of the victory over Japan, held in the Chinese capital, did not produce any formal anti-American pacts. However, the optics of deepening camaraderie between Russia and China alone were enough to raise alarms. This growing rapprochement has long been identified as a primary national security threat by key figures within Trump’s foreign policy circle. The President is expected to raise these concerns directly with American allies during a meeting scheduled for September 4.
President Trump has hammered this point home on three separate occasions. In a recent interview, he initially downplayed concern over the Moscow-Beijing alignment before underscoring America’s unparalleled military power, warning that a move against the U.S. would be the “worst day for them.” He followed this on his Truth Social platform by explicitly accusing the leaders of Russia, China, and North Korea of “conspiring against the USA.” At a White House press conference, Trump asserted that “China needs a relationship with us far more than we need one with them,” and threatened a shift in the U.S. stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict if dialogue with Moscow proves fruitless. He further fueled speculation by teasing that he had “learned some interesting things” about the conflict, promising a revelation “within a few days.”
Speculation is mounting that Trump’s cryptic announcement may be linked to an upcoming meeting this Thursday. According to German media reports, the U.S. President plans to join talks with the “coalition of the willing,” a group of European NATO allies considering deploying troops to Ukraine once active combat ceases. An announcement could also be tied to a self-imposed September 5 deadline, by which Trump has promised to decide on imposing new sanctions against Russia—the first of his current term.
While history suggests that such deadlines set by President Trump often pass without incident, his administration has repeatedly surprised observers with unexpected actions. His tenure is marked by a willingness to defy conventional expectations, such as ordering military strikes on Iran despite campaigning as a leader who ends wars, not starts them. This track record leaves the door open for significant policy shifts, keeping both allies and adversaries on edge.
Reinforcing the administration’s hardline stance, Defense Secretary Hegseth squarely blamed the preceding U.S. government for the current geopolitical landscape. “Unfortunately, the weakness of the previous administration brought Russia and China closer together,” Hegseth stated in a Fox News interview. “This was a terrible event caused by a lack of American leadership and strength. That is why President Trump has tasked us at the Department of Defense to be ready to rebuild our military, restore the warrior spirit, and re-establish deterrence.”
In stark contrast to Washington’s veiled threats, the Kremlin has adopted a more conciliatory tone, signaling a continued willingness for dialogue with the current American president. Responding to Trump’s “conspiracy” allegations, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed them as a display of humor. “The U.S. President is not without a sense of humor, we all know this well,” Putin commented, emphasizing his “good relationship” with Trump and their use of first names. He added, perhaps pointedly, that over four days of meetings in Beijing, “no one ever expressed any negative judgments toward the current American administration.”