The two countries are "natural enemies," the US president has claimed, while criticizing his predecessor's sanctions policy

US President Donald Trump has accused his predecessor, Joe Biden, of inadvertently drawing "natural enemies" Russia and China closer together. Trump made the claim following his summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, which focused on a resolution of the Ukraine conflict.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump was asked about Western sanctions on Russia and his recent threat to impose secondary sanctions on countries importing Russian energy, such as India and China.

"He [Biden] did something that was unthinkable. He drove China and Russia together. That's not good... it's the one thing you didn't want to do. Because they are basically natural enemies," Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity.

The US president went on to claim that Russia's vast territory is something that China needs to accommodate its massive population, but "because of pure stupidity, they were driven together." 

Biden's foreign policy included simultaneous confrontation with both Moscow and Beijing, where Washington launched sweeping sanctions against Russia over Ukraine, while tightening restrictions on high technology exports, such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence, to China.

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Moscow and Beijing both slammed the sanctions as unilateral, illegal, and a form of economic bullying, framing them as proof of Washington's disregard for international law. The two countries have since deepened energy and trade cooperation. Moscow has redirected much of its oil and gas exports toward China, while bilateral commerce has expanded to record levels in 2023 and 2024.

The two countries have also shifted to settling transactions in local currencies rather than the US dollar, underscoring their effort to reduce reliance on Western financial systems.

Since taking office in January, Trump has kept up pressure on China while at the same time moving toward a closer relationship with Russia. His administration has introduced a series of new tariffs on Chinese goods, while refraining from imposing new sanctions on Moscow. The US president described his talks with Putin in Alaska on Friday as "very productive" and achieving "great progress.