Kim Jong-un stands with Xi, Putin at Beijing military parade in rare display of unity

Russian President Vladimir Putin, second from left, Chinese President Xi Jinping, center, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, second from right, attend a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing, Wednesday. Xinhua-Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stood alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a large-scale military parade in Beijing, Wednesday, in a striking display of ties that trace back to the Cold War.

During the mass military parade at Tiananmen Square, Kim was seen at Xi’s left and Putin to his right. Beijing’s show of military might marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, a date China observes as its victory over Imperial Japan.

It was the first time in 66 years that the leaders of North Korea, China and Russia stood shoulder to shoulder. The last such moment came in 1959, when North Korea’s founder, Kim Il-sung, stood alongside China’s Mao Zedong and the Soviet Union’s Nikita Khrushchev at a military parade in Beijing. Even at the time, Kim Il-sung did not stand next to Mao.

The rare attendance of the three leaders together, as well as the display of their close relationship by standing side by side, projected an image of solidarity and cooperation against the West.

The occasion also marked Kim’s first attendance among such a wide circle of foreign leaders after China extended invitations to 26 heads of state.

The North Korean leader’s first appearance at a multilateral gathering carries significant diplomatic weight for his isolated nation. Sharing the stage with Putin and Xi marks a milestone for Kim, underscoring a show of solidarity against the United States.

Additionally, Kim’s rare visit to Beijing — his first in six years and eight months — appears to have reaffirmed his regime’s bond with its traditional backer, brushing aside speculation that North Korea-China ties were weakening amid Pyongyang’s growing alignment with Moscow.

These diplomatic gains could provide the reclusive regime with greater leverage in Korean Peninsula affairs and strengthen Kim’s position in any future nuclear negotiations.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Bejing, Wednesday. Yonhap

Later in the day, Kim held a one-on-one meeting with Putin, their first encounter since the Russian leader’s visit to Pyongyang in June 2024.

According to Russia's TASS news agency, Putin praised North Korean troops for fighting bravely in what he described as the "liberation" of the Kursk region from Ukrainian forces, crediting Pyongyang's troop deployment to the war in Ukraine.

"At your initiative, as is well known, your special units took part in the liberation of the Kursk region, in full accordance with our new treaty," Putin said. "I want to note that your soldiers fought bravely and heroically."

In response, Kim expressed gratitude for the recognition of the North Korean troops, adding that their bilateral ties have been advancing.

Unmanned ground vehicles are carried in a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing, Wednesday. Reuters-Yonhap

South Korea sent its own delegation — led by National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, the country’s second-highest-ranking official in protocol order — to the parade.

Woo’s attendance underscored Seoul’s delicate effort to balance its alliance with Washington against its ties with Beijing. According to Woo's office later in the day, the speaker exchanged a handshake with the North Korean leader at the venue.

Woo also had a chance to talk with Putin at a reception after the military parade. According to Woo's office, Putin asked Woo how he evaluates inter-Korean relations and what message he wanted Putin to deliver to Kim at their planned meeting afterward.

"Woo said he hopes the two Koreas open an era of peace and prosperity, adding that despite challenges, establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula is important," the office said in a release.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an announcement in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, Tuesday (local time). EPA-Yonhap

Meanwhile, the rare gathering of the three leaders drew a heated reaction from U.S. President Donald Trump.

In a post on Truth Social shortly after the military parade began, Trump asked the Chinese leader to send his "warmest regards" to Kim and Putin, accusing them of conspiring against the United States.

He also questioned whether Xi would acknowledge what he called the massive support and "blood" the U.S. provided to China "to help secure its FREEDOM from a very unfriendly foreign invader."

Trump's fiery reaction highlighted a growing geopolitical split referred to by some as a new Cold War era, with one bloc comprising South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, against the other bloc of North Korea, China and Russia.