"...gold is being supported by Eastern Europe and Asia, but not so much by U. S. buyers."

That may be so at the retail level.  However, the bulk of the international trade flows to the worlds central banks. 

https://www.moneymetals.com/news/2024/02/08/central-bank-gold-buying-topped-1000-tons-last-year-fell-just-short-of-2022-record-002978

I believe the US has neither bought nor sold any gold for around a hundred years. Still, between the Department of Treasury and the Fed, we hold as much gold as the next three nations combined.