Where Trump sees deals, Russia and China see a chance to disrupt U.S. alliances

U.S. adversaries are using President Trump’s eagerness to strike deals as a chance to drive a wedge between the U.S. and its allies and undermine the Washington-led security order that has for years held them in check.

- Jason Douglas, Chun Han Wong & Bertrand Benoit

In Europe, Russia is seeking to exploit Trump’s desire to halt the war in Ukraine and strike business deals with Moscow by shaping a peace plan that meets many of its strategic objectives, including winning chunks of Ukrainian territory and closing off any hope Kyiv had of joining NATO.

In Asia, Chinese leader Xi Jinping is attempting to steer Trump toward abandoning Taiwan in exchange for an expansive U.S.-China trade accord, a key Trump goal. China claims the self-ruled island as its own and hasn't ruled out taking it by force.

Trump on Tuesday advised Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a close ally, not to provoke Beijing over Taiwan, The Wall Street Journal reported, as he works toward a trade deal with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Takaichi’s office denied Trump made such a remark.

A leaked conversation between White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and a senior Russian official further underscored the extent to which the Trump administration has opened the door to dealmaking.

“The president will give me a lot of space and discretion to get to the deal,” Witkoff told Yuri Ushakov, a top aide to President Vladimir Putin, about a potential Ukraine peace deal, according to a transcript of the call published by Bloomberg News.

Moscow and Beijing see opportunity in Trump’s single-minded focus on short-term bargains for both capitals to advance long-held goals, analysts say.

“There is certainly a sense that this is a moment to press their objectives, to undermine U.S. leadership in both Europe and Asia,” said Christopher Johnstone, a partner at the Asia Group, a Washington, D.C.-based strategic advisory firm, who served in senior national security positions in multiple U.S. administrations. “They think they've figured him out.”

U.S. alliances are fraying as a result.