Author and Asia expert Gordon Chang told Newsmax that President Donald Trump is nearing a breaking point with Russia and China. “At some point, I think that Trump is going to lose his patience, and that point is probably pretty close,” Chang said on the “Sunday Report.” He linked the shift to events “especially in the last week,” including Russia’s largest aerial assault on Ukraine, which “hit government buildings in Kyiv for the first time.” Chang added, “That’s not going to make Trump happy.”
Who is Gordon Chang?
Chang is widely recognized for his analysis of China and Asia. In this interview he spoke as a seasoned observer of power dynamics in Beijing and Moscow, stressing that the United States and its allies are being pushed into sharper alignment by recent moves from Russia, China, and North Korea. His standing as an author and Asia expert frames his warning as serious and informed.
Chang’s comments followed a summit featuring Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The public display of unity raised alarms in Washington. Former CIA analyst Fred Fleitz, appearing on the same program, downplayed the substance of the meeting, calling it more posturing than policy and pointing to ongoing disputes between China and India. Even so, the optics of the trio set the stage for Chang’s sharper message about escalating pressure and diminishing patience.
Fleitz highlighted Europe’s role in the larger contest, noting that European nations spent $71.1 billion on Russian gas last year. That figure drew criticism from Trump, who is pressing U.S. allies to intensify economic pressure on Beijing for supporting Moscow. Fleitz’s remarks support Chang’s theme that pressure is building on multiple fronts and that U.S. leadership is likely to nudge Europe into a firmer stance.
The Breaking Point and Its Consequences
Chang argued that Putin’s deepening energy ties with Beijing will backfire by “pushing Europe even closer to the United States.” He said, “Clearly, Trump is going to corral Europe,” because Putin and Xi are “not taking the off-ramps that President Trump has been giving them.” In Chang’s view, the refusal to de-escalate closes diplomatic exits and accelerates a realignment. A break in patience would mean tougher U.S. and allied measures, stronger transatlantic coordination, and fewer incentives for Moscow and Beijing to expect concessions without change in behavior.
Chang warned that China’s posture is shaped by insecurity at the top. “China right now is very arrogant, but it’s also insecure because you have infighting at the top of the Communist Party,” he said. The signs are “inconsistent with the notion of stability,” which makes constructive engagement unlikely. Instability at home can produce risk-taking abroad. Chang expects China to be “very difficult to deal with until this instability is over.”
Chang anticipates a period of sustained tension. He suggested that “we will see at least some clarity after the Communist Party’s Fourth Plenum, which is scheduled for next month.” He also pointed to the possibility of a Trump-Xi meeting at the APEC summit in South Korea at the end of October and the beginning of November. Between now and then, he expects Trump to keep pressing Europe to tighten economic screws on Beijing while rallying support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s escalations.
Gordon Chang’s respected analysis places the United States at a decisive moment. With Russia escalating in Ukraine and China signaling unity with Moscow while wrestling with internal strain, the room for half-measures is shrinking. If patience breaks, the likeliest outcome is a firmer U.S.-led coalition, deeper transatlantic coordination, and fewer illusions in Moscow and Beijing about off-ramps that go unused
ACZ Editor: We hear over and over that Trump will escalate, but where will he escalate to? Putin can sit where he is an torture Trump will greater damage to Ukraine. Trump may send better weapons, but he will not send troops. No one will send troops. Russia is a nuclear power.