Kim Jong Un and Putin team up for a military parade, and America isn’t invited

The leaders of North Korea, Russia, and China are set to convene for a military parade in a rare alignment that signals a significant rebalancing of international relationships. The event in China, which commemorates the end of World War II and China’s victory over Japanese aggression, marks the first time North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will appear with foreign leaders.

His attendance at the September 3rd parade alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping is being closely watched by global observers. The parade’s guest list includes a number of other nations, with leaders from Iran, Cuba, Belarus, and Serbia also slated to attend.

According to NPR, Slovakia is identified as the sole NATO member on the list of 26 leaders. The South Korean government will be represented at the event by its parliamentary speaker rather than the president. Trump, who always claims to be close to many of the top leaders mentioned, was not invited.

Leaders are meeting, but Trump isn’t invited

According to John Delury, a Seoul-based senior fellow at Asia Society, a nonprofit educational organization, “This is a major mending of the fence, I would say, between China and North Korea. This puts the strategic relationship of the leaders back on some kind of even keel.”

The convergence of these particular nations at such a highly symbolic event suggests a strengthening of ties among countries that are often at odds with the United States and its allies. This appearance is especially noteworthy for Kim Jong Un, as it represents his first known visit to China since 2019. In the years since his last meeting with the Chinese leader, Kim’s allegiances have appeared to shift, drawing him closer to Russia.

This deepening relationship with Moscow was highlighted by the signing of a mutual defense treaty and the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers to support Russia’s war in Ukraine, many of whom died. A Seoul-based senior fellow at a nonprofit educational organization described the parade as a major mending of the relationship between China and North Korea, suggesting it will restore a strategic balance between the two nations.

In addition to improving relations with China, the North Korean leadership may also be considering its future with the United States. With President Trump actively working to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, some analysts believe Kim may be anticipating a reduction in his leverage with Moscow. This could prompt a desire to resume talks with the United States. Trump has stated his hope to meet again with Kim, with whom he had three summits in 2018 and 2019.

The gathering of these nations has sparked concern about the potential for a “new Cold War structure”, according to a senior researcher at a South Korean research institute Doo Jin-ho. It makes sense because North Korea is leaning on Russia for military collaboration and China for economic support.

Both Russia and China have previously assisted North Korea in bypassing international sanctions related to its nuclear and missile programs. Additionally, both countries have provided various forms of assistance to Russia in its ongoing conflict in Ukraine.