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Trump says Beijing and Moscow would never use military force against US due to its superior military.

Donald Trump has brushed off concerns that deepening ties between China and Russia pose a threat to the United States, pointing to Washington’s unmatched military might.

Asked in a radio interview on Tuesday whether he was concerned about a China-Russia axis forming against the US, the US president said he was not.

“We have the strongest military in the world, by far,” Trump told the conservative pundit Scott Jennings.

“They would never use their military on us. Believe me, that would be the worst thing they could ever do.”

Trump, who campaigned on the promise of swiftly bringing an end to Moscow’s war in Ukraine, also expressed disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin over his failure to reach a peace deal with Kyiv.

“I am very disappointed in President Putin, I can say that, and we will be doing something to help people live,” Trump said.

“It’s not a question of Ukraine. It’s helping people live.”

Trump’s comments come as China and Russia have been ramping up cooperation to present an alternative vision to the Western-led international order.

Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China’s Tianjin earlier this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin took turns levelling criticisms at what they view as Washington’s undue dominance over the global arena.

On Wednesday, Putin attended China’s largest-ever military parade, held to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II, an event widely seen as part of Xi’s efforts to demonstrate Beijing’s growing clout on the international stage.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump dismissed suggestions that the parade should be seen as a challenge to the US.

“I don’t see that at all, no,” he said.

“I have a very good relationship with President Xi, as you know, but China needs us much more than we need them.”

July 9 (UPI) — Canadian authorities have arrested four men, including active military members, on accusations of forming an anti-government militia that sought to seize land in Quebec City.

No information about motive or ideology was released by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police when it announced the arrests in a statement Tuesday.

Three of the suspects — Marc-Aurele Chabot, 24, Simon Angers-Audet, 24, and Raphael Lagace — are accused of taking “concerte actions to facilitate terrorist activity,” a charge punishable with up to 14 years in prison.

According to the RCMP, Chabot, Angers-Audet and Lagace have been accused of planning to create an anti-government militia, for which they participated in military-style training, including shooting, ambush, survival and navigation exercises, involving firearms, some of which are banned.

A fourth suspect, Matthew Forbes, 33, faces a slew of charges, including possession of firearms, prohibited devices and explosives and related offenses.

All four men are from the province of Quebec.

The arrests follow searches conducted in Quebec City in January 2024 that uncovered 16 explosive devices, 11,000 rounds of ammunition, nearly 130 magazines and 83 firearms and accessories. Four pairs of night vision goggles and other military equipment were also seized.

Images released by the RCMP include a screenshot of an Instagram account that Canadian authorities said one of the suspect’s alleged used to recruit new members. Other released photos included several displaying the large cache of firearms seized and one of the men in tactical gear appearing to be undergoing training.

The Canadian Armed Forces confirmed in a statement that two active military members were among the four arrested and charged.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Camille Habel told CBC News that their investigation into the men dates back to the spring of 2023, but that the militant group dates back to at least 2021.

Without going into specifics concerning what the group’s intention was with the Quebec City land they intended to seize, Habel said, “in that ideology in general, quite often we would see a desire to create a new society, a desire to live by different values and wanting to change or create some kind of chaos so that they could take over society to created it and live it the way that they want.”

She added that they know more than just the four people arrested are interested in this unspecified ideology, which, she said, “is an issue in Canada right now.”

“It is not a case that will fix the problem,” she said. “It is really a societal problem.”