In Cozying Up to Trump, Leaders Hedge Their Reliance on Moscow and Beijing NYT | Top Stories By: Anton Troianovski, Paul Sonne and Ana Swanson 8 November 2025 at 06:14 President Trump has made it easier for countries that are close to Russia and China to build ties with the United States. Those countries are embracing the opportunity. © Doug Mills/The New York TimesPresident Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, with leaders of other Central Asian countries, at the White House on Thursday.