Chicago – August 28, 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will join Chinese President Xi Jinping at a military parade in Beijing next week. This will be their first public appearance together, showing strong support for each other in the face of Western pressure.
The parade, marking the end of World War II, will be held on September 3 and will feature 26 foreign leaders. The only Western leader attending will be Robert Fico, the Prime Minister of Slovakia, an EU member country. No other Western leaders will be present.
The parade comes at a time when China’s military power is growing. It is also an opportunity for the three leaders to stand together, showing unity not only between China and the Global South but also with Russia and North Korea, both of which face heavy sanctions. Russia has been severely affected by sanctions since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and North Korea has been under UN sanctions since 2006 for its nuclear weapons program.
Other heads of state attending the event include Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko, Iran’s President Masoud Pezashkian, Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto, and South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik. Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic will also be there.
The United Nations will be represented by Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua, a former Chinese ambassador to Italy, San Marino, and Myanmar.
