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Putin, Kim join Xi at military parade in China as Trump says they 'conspire against' US

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Putin, Kim join Xi at military parade in China as Trump says they 'conspire against' US
In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, (L-R) Russia's President Vladimir Putin walks with China's President Xi Jinping and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un before a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II, in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Sept. 3, 2025. (Sergey Bobylev/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un joined Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Sept. 3 for a large-scale military parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender and the end of World War II.

While no U.S. officials attended, U.S. President Donald Trump reacted on Truth Social, writing to Xi: "Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America."

The event marked the first public appearance of Putin, Kim, and Xi together — highlighting deepening ties among the three countries and reduced isolation of both the Russian and North Korean leaders.

Putin and Kim then departed the parade for bilateral talks, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

As Russia faced geopolitical isolation following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Pyongyang emerged as one of Moscow's most important military allies, supporting its war effort with artillery shells, missiles, and even soldiers.

Likewise, despite officially claiming neutrality, China has been indirectly supporting Moscow's war by purchasing Russian oil and providing dual-use technology.

Addressing a crowd of more than 50,000 people at Tiananmen Square, Xi said: "Today, mankind is faced with the choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero-sum," adding that the Chinese people "stand on the right side of history."

While Xi lauded peace and dialogue in his speech, China used the parade to show off its military might.

The event featured over 10,000 troops, more than 100 aircraft and vehicles, and the country's most advanced weaponry, like the nuclear-capable DF-61 intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, drones, and laser weapons.

The parade came just days after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which brought together Xi, Putin, Kim, and other world leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Taken together, both the military parade and the SCO summit are seemingly meant to project China's power on the global stage and Xi's vision of a new world order — especially amid rising tensions with the United States over trade and security.

While Putin attended the military parade in Beijing, Russian forces launched a large-scale drone attack targeting cities across Ukraine. Despite Xi's rhetoric about peace, China has emerged as a key ally and economic lifeline for Russia during its war against Ukraine, with Kyiv growing more vocal in accusing Beijing of directly supporting Moscow's war effort.

About 2,000 North Korean soldiers killed fighting for Russia, Seoul says
According to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, Pyongyang plans to send an additional 6,000 troops to Russia as part of its third wave of deployment.
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Lucy Pakhnyuk

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"I'm very disappointed in President Putin, I can say that, and we'll be doing something to help people live," Trump said in an interview on the Scott Jennings Radio Show. "It's not a question of Ukraine. It's help people live," he added. "7,000 are dying every single week — soldiers mostly — but 7,000 people. And if I can help to stop that, I think I have an obligation to do that.

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