INTERNACIONAL
How Trump could ‘un-unite’ the Xi-Putin alliance

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President Donald Trump said on the campaign trail he wanted to «un-unite» the alliance between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
But the immensely complex geopolitical dynamic has prompted questions about whether Trump can pull a «reverse Kissinger» and prompt a modern-day version of the Sino-Soviet split.
«I think there’s many ways this alliance could be fractured,» Fred Fleitz, who served as a deputy assistant to Trump and chief of staff of the National Security Council during the president’s first term, told Fox News Digital.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Tatarstan Republic, Russia. (Getty Images)
TRUMP ISSUES FIRM 10-DAY DEADLINE TO PUTIN TO END WAR
Fleitz pointed to the recent talks between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his Chinese counterparts in Stockholm and said that pushing China to stop purchasing Russian oil or face tariffs was one route that could be effective in trying to drive a wedge.
But Chinese officials have doubled down in their support for Moscow, and in a July meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wany Yi and EU diplomatic chief Kaja Kallas, Fox News Digital confirmed that the Chinese official made clear it is not in China’s interest to see Russia lose the war.
The Chinese embassy did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions regarding what Beijing would consider a «loss» for Russia or why it is in China’s interest to see Russia win in its illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Presidents Xi, Trump and Putin (Reuters )
But reports have suggested that China fears Russia losing the war or, at minimum, a cessation of hostilities would free up the U.S. and its allies to focus more heavily on China.
Fleitz argued the core strategy in breaking up the Putin-Xi alliance, which the two have publicly vowed is rock solid, should not focus on attempting to push China away from Russia.
«The Russians and Chinese do not like each other,» Fleitz argued, pointing to a 2023 move by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources when it called for historical Chinese names to be included next to the current Russian names on maps depicting its eastern border areas. «The Chinese actually have changed their maps in the Far East to add Chinese names to Russian cities because someday, I think, China is giving the message they’re going to take back Russian territories in the Far East.
«We need to make this point to Putin. He has a far better future for Russia, reintegrating into the West and Europe as a state in good standing rather than falling into the arms of the Chinese, who do not have the best interests of Russia at heart,» Fleitz, who serves as vice chair of the America First Policy Institute’s Center for American Security, said.

Trump said prior to Tuesday’s phone call with Putin that «many elements of a final agreement have been agreed to, but much remains» regarding ending the war in Ukraine. (Kremlin Press Office/Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
EU DEFENSE CHIEF WARNS OF ‘MOST DANGEROUS MOMENT’ – COORDINATED RUSSIAN-CHINESE AGGRESSION BY 2027
The theory that cozying up to Putin could be the ticket in breaking up his alliance with Xi has been dubbed the «reverse Kissinger» in a nod to Henry Kissinger who, starting in 1972 alongside President Richard Nixon, improved relations with China in a move to further isolate the USSR.
Trump, to some extent, has already tried this approach, as witnessed by his insistence that diplomacy was the best way forward with Putin, his initial reproach of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as «ungrateful» and his apparent understanding of why Putin invaded Ukraine when it came to supposed threats posed by NATO.
Putin’s war aims have thus far been undeterred and China, which for years took a publicly neutral position when it came to the war in Ukraine, has increasingly voiced its support of Russia despite Western pressure.
But Fleitz argued this strategy will take time.
«It’s going to be hard,» he said. «But, first of all, our policy with Russia started off in a bad situation for Trump.
«There was no dialog between Putin and Biden after Russia invaded Ukraine,» Fleitz added, noting that despite surface-level commentary, strife between Russia and China is brewing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend an official welcome ceremony in Beijing, China, May 16, 2024. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
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Reports in June leaked by the Russian intelligence agency known as the FSB apparently showed that Moscow has dubbed Beijing «the enemy» and is aware of its efforts to gain access to top military technologies by recruiting Russian spies, often disillusioned Russian scientists.
While reporting has suggested that Russia views China as a strategic partner to counter the West, Beijing is known for playing the long game, and Moscow’s dependence on the Chinese Communist Party as one of its few allies could prove a future vulnerability for it.
«There are press articles coming out lately about how China is spying on Russia and taking advantage of this relationship to advance Chinese security,» Fleitz said. «We need to make this point to the Russians at every opportunity — the Chinese are not your friend.
«You need to make a deal with Donald Trump.»
donald trump,vladimir putin,xi jinping,china,russia,ukraine,world
INTERNACIONAL
China y Rusia escalan la presión militar en Asia con ejercicios conjuntos cerca de Japón

Las armadas de China y Rusia comenzaron recientemente una nueva ronda de ejercicios navales conjuntos en el Mar del Japón, una muestra explícita de su creciente alianza estratégica en un contexto global cada vez más tenso. Bajo la denominación Joint Sea‑2025, los ejercicios arrancaron cerca de Vladivostok el domingo y se extenderán durante al menos cinco días, según informó la agencia Interfax citando a la Flota del Pacífico rusa.
Las maniobras incluyen ejercicios de artillería y antisubmarinos, rescate de submarinos, operaciones conjuntas antisubmarinas, defensa aérea, antimisiles y combates marítimos simulados. Participan dos destructores chinos —entre ellos el Shaoxing y el Urumqi— junto con un gran buque antisubmarino ruso, submarinos diésel‑eléctricos y un buque de rescate submarino chino.
El Ministerio de Defensa chino explicó que el ejercicio busca la “profundización de la asociación estratégica integral” entre ambos países, y subrayó que no está dirigido contra ningún país tercero. Asimismo, recalcó que forma parte de su cooperación bilateral regular.
La elección del Mar del Japón (o mar del Este) como escenario no es casual. En su último informe anual, el Ministerio de Defensa de Japón advirtió que la creciente cooperación militar entre Beijing y Moscú representa una “seria preocupación de seguridad” para la región.
Este ejercicio naval se inscribe en una tradición iniciada en 2012 con los primeros Joint Sea, reforzada tras la firma del acuerdo bilateral poco antes de la invasión rusa a Ucrania en febrero de 2022. China se negó a condenar el ataque y rehusó acompañar las sanciones occidentales contra Rusia.
Aunque Beijing afirma actuar como un tercero neutral en el conflicto ucraniano, tanto Ucrania como sus aliados occidentales acusan a China de facilitar apoyo militar indirecto a Moscú, incluidas transferencias tecnológicas sensibles.
En otras ocasiones, estos ejercicios se llevaron a cabo en zonas cercanas a la costa sur de China. El traslado de los ejercicios al noroeste del Pacífico, en aguas del Mar del Japón (mar del Este), refleja una intención geopolítica más ambiciosa, elevando la visibilidad estratégica de la cooperación militar entre ambos países.
Según un análisis del Financial Times, el principal efecto de los ejercicios conjuntos reside en su valor simbólico: un mensaje de cohesión táctica entre dos potencias que, aunque no poseen una alianza militar formal, buscan proyectar coordinación frente a Occidente. No obstante, expertos como Alexander Gabuev, del Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, advierten que estas maniobras “no deben interpretarse como señales de una alianza estructural”, sino como movimientos pragmáticos basados en intereses compartidos y desconfianza común hacia Washington
Este despliegue responde también a un contexto en el que EEUU fortaleció su presencia militar en Asia. Según Reuters, Washington posicionó dos submarinos nucleares en la región tras declaraciones provocadoras de Dmitri Medvédev, lo que generó escalada verbal entre Washington y Moscú.
La ausencia de una alianza formal entre China y Rusia no impide una colaboración frecuente en ejercicios militares, intercambio de inteligencia y cooperación tecnológica. Aun sin interoperabilidad completa, las maniobras sugieren que comparten intereses estratégicos puntuales.

(EPA/BIANCA DE MARCHI)
En la práctica, ambos gobiernos se apoyan mutuamente: Rusia obtiene respaldo económico y político frente al aislamiento europeo, mientras China proyecta un equilibrio de poder ante EEUU en el Indo‑Pacífico.
Mientras tanto, Japón y sus vecinos han fortalecido su defensa. Tokio realizó en junio de 2025 su primera prueba de misiles en territorio nacional desde la Segunda Guerra Mundial, como parte de una estrategia de disuasión frente a lo que su Ministerio de Defensa ha calificado como un deterioro del entorno de seguridad regional.
Además del ejercicio en el Mar del Japón, China y Rusia han realizado patrullajes aéreos conjuntos en zonas cercanas a Taiwán, operaciones en el Ártico y ejercicios en alta mar frente a Alaska en 2023, contrarrestando la presencia estadounidense.
Algunos expertos apuntan que lo relevante no es un pacto defensivo formal, sino la claridad de propósito. “No hay una estructura de mando conjunta”, afirma Alexander Gabuev al Financial Times, “pero existe una voluntad compartida de desafiar el orden global liderado por EEUU”.
Las repercusiones regionales son palpables. Gobiernos como Japón, Corea del Sur, Taiwán y Filipinas han intensificado la coordinación con Washington ante lo que consideran una nueva fase de competencia geoestratégica en el Indo‑Pacífico.
Las maniobras Joint Sea‑2025 no alteran por sí solas el equilibrio de poder en la región, pero refuerzan una tendencia preocupante para las democracias occidentales: la consolidación táctica entre dos regímenes autoritarios que buscan erosionar las normas internacionales vigentes y ampliar su margen de maniobra en zonas estratégicas. Para Estados Unidos y sus aliados, este tipo de ejercicios representa un desafío directo a la arquitectura de seguridad regional basada en reglas, cooperación multilateral y disuasión defensiva.
Defense,Middle East,GULF OF OMAN
INTERNACIONAL
Fox News Politics Newsletter: US Attorney Investigating Adam Schiff

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Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…
-Justice Department weighing release of Ghislaine Maxwell interview
–Hunter Biden says he’s started new job with California nonprofit
-Fifth Cincinnati brawl suspect’s mugshot released after FBI arrest
California Dem Subject of US Attorney Probe Involving Maryland Mortgage
Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is under criminal investigation for mortgage fraud, a Trump administration source told Fox News.
Fox News host Laura Ingraham broke the news on Tuesday night on «The Ingraham Angle,» saying the source said a criminal investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland on possible charges involving mortgage fraud…. READ MORE
U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), joined by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), speaks at a press conference introducing the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 on April 30, 2025 in Washington, DC.
White House
‘COOLEST GUY’: Michelle Obama celebrates Barack as ‘coolest guy’ on his birthday after the pair joked off divorce rumors
UP TOP: Trump appears on White House roof amid talks of historic renovations

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures from the roof of the West Wing of the White House as he takes a tour on August 05, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump has undertaken several renovation projects at the White House to include the construction of a concrete patio at the Rose Garden. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
THE BIG HYPOTHETICAL: Trump answers question on whether he’ll try to run again
Zohran Mamdani
BENCHING THE BLUE: Replace cops with social workers, ‘transit ambassadors’ on some 911 calls
MISSING IN ACTION: Mamdani’s attempted police pivot continues after Adams asks ‘Where was he?’
‘DARK MOMENT’: Mamdani preaches from pulpit of radical pastor pushing reparations, abolishing police: ‘Brother and friend’
SNUBBING THE BLUE: Adams asks ‘where was’ Mamdani at previous NYPD funerals

The presumptive Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani will challenge incumbent Mayor Adams, who is running as an independent, in November’s mayoral election. (Getty Images)
SOCIALIST SURGE: Will progressive challenger top incumbent mayor in Seattle’s primary?
LEFTIES UNITE: Zohran Mamdani in position to help socialist party ‘seize state power,’ DSA leader admits
World Stage
DUTCH DOLLARS: Netherlands becomes first NATO ally to buy US weapons for Ukraine
PUTIN’S PAYDAY: Witkoff scrambles for peace deal with Russia as sanctions loom targeting India, China
URGENT EFFORT: Fox News gets inside look at Gaza humanitarian situation as Israel weighs next steps

Palestinians return with bags from a food distribution point run by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) group, near the Netsarim corridor in the central Gaza Strip on Aug. 2, 2025. (YAD BABA/AFP via Getty Images)
NUCLEAR SHOWDOWN: Russia drops missile deployment moratorium amid tensions with Trump admin
Capitol Hill
PRIMARY CHALLENGE: Iowa Republican targets GOP Sen. Joni Ernst for ouster, saying ‘she doesn’t vote like’ Republicans
GOP SHOWDOWN: South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson accuses Rep. Nancy Mace of ‘ranting and raving’
INNER CIRCLE SECRETS: 9th ex-Biden aide appears before House Oversight investigators in autopen probe
BILL ON THE HILL: Comer subpoenas the Clintons, Trump’s DOJ in House Oversight’s Epstein probe

Using the Fifth Amendment, which gives Americans the right to not self-incriminate themselves, Epstein refused to answer at least three questions related to former President Bill Clinton and at least one related to the Clinton Foundation. (Getty Images)
Across America
NAMED AND SHAMED: DOJ names and shames 35 sanctuary cities that ‘put American citizens at risk’
TAXPAYER WATCHDOGS: Florida dispatches DOGE agents to Fort Lauderdale, Gainesville to analyze tax hikes, ‘reckless’ trends
SHELTERS SHUT DOWN: Left-wing governor scraps migrant shelter plan after $1B blowup
POWER LINES: Supreme Court orders new arguments in pivotal elections case

The United States Supreme Court is seen on November 8, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty)
TRANSCRIPT RELEASE: Ghislaine Maxwell opposes release of grand jury transcripts
DEBT DIAGNOSIS: Parental rights group on new healthcare price transparency tool for families to Make America Healthy Again
STAMP OF APPROVAL: Voter ID law in Texas wins at appeals court after Biden admin lawsuit
ARNOLD’S NEW ROLE: Schwarzenegger pushing back back against Newsom redistricting bid in California
Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
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INTERNACIONAL
Brazil’s ex-president and major Trump ally Bolsonaro placed on house arrest

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On Monday, Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered former President Jair Bolsonaro to be placed under house arrest amid ongoing legal proceedings over his alleged attempt to overturn the 2022 presidential election results.
The case has gripped the nation since its inception in 2023 and has intensified international scrutiny, especially as it unfolds under the authority of a Supreme Court justice recently sanctioned by the Trump administration in the United States.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the case, accused Bolsonaro, 70, of violating court-imposed restrictions.
According to the ruling, first reported by the Associated Press, Bolsonaro used a Sunday protest in Rio de Janeiro to publicly address supporters using a cellphone owned by one of his three sons, all of whom are lawmakers.
TRUMP ADMIN SANCTIONS BRAZILIAN JUDGE OVERSEEING BOLSONARO COUP-PLOT PROBE
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro gestures during the inauguration ceremony of new ministers at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, on March 31, 2022. – Bolsonaro on Thursday fired key ministers who will contest the October elections, including his possible running mate for defence, in a ceremony in which he praised the last military dictatorship. (Evaristo Sa/AFP via Getty Images)
Bolsonaro’s brief message, «Good afternoon, Copacabana, good afternoon my Brazil, a hug to everyone, this is for our freedom,» was deemed a violation of his release conditions.
Bolsonaro’s legal team announced plans to appeal, arguing that the statement was symbolic, not criminal, and did not justify additional restrictions.
Mounting International Fallout
The political stakes have now extended well beyond Brazil. The case triggered backlash from President Trump, a longtime Bolsonaro ally, who tied newly imposed U.S. tariffs on Brazilian imports to what he called an ongoing «witch hunt.» His remarks have further strained the already delicate diplomatic relationship between the two nations.
In a pointed statement on X, the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs condemned the Brazilian court’s actions, writing: «Putting even more restrictions on Jair Bolsonaro’s ability to defend himself in public is not a public service. Let Bolsonaro speak!»
APPEALS COURT GRANTS TRUMP SHORT-TERM WIN OVER BOASBERG IN IMMIGRATION RULING

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. President Donald Trump. (Getty Images)
The bureau also warned that individuals involved in what it described as «sanctioned behavior» would be held accountable.
The statement marked a sharp escalation, particularly as it followed closely on the heels of sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department, under Trump’s administration, against Justice de Moraes. He was designated a «U.S.-sanctioned human rights abuser» and accused of weaponizing the judiciary to silence political opponents.
The Basis for Sanctions
Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent accused de Moraes of leading an unlawful crackdown:
«Alexandre de Moraes has taken it upon himself to be judge and jury in an unlawful witch hunt against U.S. and Brazilian citizens and companies. He is responsible for an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions, and politicized prosecutions—including those against former President Jair Bolsonaro,» Bessent said.
TRUMP FOE JUDGE BOASBERG RULES DEPORTED MIGRANTS CAN CHALLENGE REMOVALS, IN BLOW TO ADMIN

Former President Jair Bolsonaro addresses supporters during a rally in Sao Paulo., Brazil, Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024. Bolsonaro and some of his former top aides are under investigation into allegations they attempted plotted a coup to remove his successor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
These sanctions were imposed under Executive Order 13818, issued during Trump’s first term in 2017. The order declared a national emergency concerning global human rights abuses and corruption and expanded upon the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act passed in 2016. The law empowers the U.S. government to impose financial and travel sanctions on foreign officials accused of human rights violations.
Despite growing international pressure, the Brazilian government has yet to issue a formal response.
Details of the Case
Brazilian prosecutors allege that Bolsonaro led a coordinated effort to delegitimize, and ultimately overturn, the results of the 2022 election, including planning violent acts and even an alleged assassination plot targeting President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Justice de Moraes. Bolsonaro lost the election by a narrow margin.
A panel of Supreme Court justices accepted the charges in March, ultimately ordering Bolsonaro to stand trial. Monday’s house arrest ruling builds on earlier restrictions: an ankle monitor, a nighttime curfew, and a travel ban keeping the former president confined to Brasília despite his deep political roots in Rio de Janeiro.
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A former army captain and deeply polarizing figure, Bolsonaro now joins a short but consequential list of former Brazilian presidents arrested since the country’s return to democracy in 1985, a system he has frequently criticized and linked to the military dictatorship he once praised.
Justice de Moraes, defending the court’s decision, wrote: «The judiciary will not allow itself to be mocked. Justice applies equally to everyone. A defendant who knowingly violates precautionary measures—especially for the second time—must face legal consequences.»
Fox News’ Alec Schemmel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
sanctions,jair bolsonaro,brazil,world
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