North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin will join Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing next week for a military parade that has been boycotted by the West. The event on Wednesday will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Leaders from the United States and major Western European countries are deliberately skipping the ceremony as a form of protest against Putin’s presence, given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Their absence creates a stage for a display of unity among their rivals.
This is Kim Jong Un’s first trip to China since 2019, a visit laden with diplomatic and economic significance. He is expected to use the opportunity to strengthen ties with Beijing, which is essential for his country’s survival amid crippling international sanctions.
The joint appearance of Kim, Xi, and Putin is a highly symbolic act. It follows North Korea’s supply of ammunition to Russia and will be widely interpreted as a formal consolidation of a strategic alliance aimed at challenging the U.S.-led global order.