Putin Flexes Links With Xi and Kim in Beijing
Key Points and Summary
-Vladimir Putin’s high-profile appearance alongside Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un at China’s massive military parade was a powerful display of a growing anti-Western strategic alignment.
-As peace talks with the West stall, Putin used the Beijing summit to show he is far from isolated.
-The visit was highlighted by Kim Jong Un’s public promise to provide Russia “everything possible to help” in its war against Ukraine.
-This emerging bloc, which also includes leaders from across Asia and the Middle East, presents a formidable challenge to the West and complicates any diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
Putin and the New Axis of Trouble
Vladimir Putin’s appearance alongside Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un at China’s vast military parade on Tuesday underscored what appears to be a growing strategic alignment between Moscow, Beijing, and Pyongyang in the face of Western pressure.
The Russian leader, still prosecuting his war in Ukraine three and a half years on, used his Beijing visit to demonstrate that far from being diplomatically isolated, he can count on high-profile backing from Asia.
Kim Jong Un’s public promise to provide Russia with “everything possible to help”.
These remarks came on the back of reports that North Korean troops had already aided Moscow in its Kursk campaign. It suggested that manpower, long one of Russia’s most pressing vulnerabilities, may not run out as quickly as Ukraine and its allies had hoped.
Xi Jinping’s hospitality was equally notable. Putin flanked the despot on his right-hand side as he granted his Russian counterpart star billing at the parade, which marked the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender at the conclusion of the Second World War.
This is all despite Beijing publicly claiming to be “neutral” on the question of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Alongside tanks and intercontinental missiles, Beijing rolled out “robot wolves” and cyber units at this latest parade.
Could the same systems showcased in Tiananmen Square could one day be deployed in a future invasion of Taiwan?
Putin Has Some Key Meetings
Putin, meanwhile, chocked his schedule full of bilateral meetings. After an effusive two-hour session with Kim, which concluded with a handshake and a hug. The Russian President also sat down with leaders from Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Republic of Congo.
His investment envoy mocked Western claims of Russian isolation by posting a smiling group photo of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation leaders.
Back in Europe, there was little sign of a diplomatic breakthrough.
The Kremlin swiftly rejected suggestions of peace talks in Switzerland, while analysts at the Institute for the Study of War accused Putin of dangling “tangential concessions” to mislead Donald Trump’s administration into believing progress was possible.
Western governments, meanwhile, remain unconvinced. London announced fresh sanctions targeting Russia’s deportation of Ukrainian children, a practice British Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned as “despicable.”
Back in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was vowing “tangible reinforcement” for his forces with Russia following the bombardment of over 500 drones and missiles in yet another overnight assault.
What Happens Next?
Beijing’s message was clear: Putin, Xi, and Kim are keen to portray a united front. Whether or not this is the forerunner to closer operational ties is unclear.
However, the symbolism of such a determined, anti-Western bloc emerging remains a powerful reminder that none of these rogue states truly stands alone.
About the Author: Georgia Gilholy
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education. You can follow her on X: @llggeorgia.
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Jim
September 4, 2025 at 10:11 am
Why should he?
As the war grinds on with no end in sight, Russia demonstrates it’s not diplomatically isolated as so many have claimed.
And, as time goes forward a new diplomatic order is being formed, a multipolar order, based on the concept of International Law, as opposed to the “rules based international order,” promoted by the United States.
It would seem the cow is out the barn door.
Yes, the genie is out of the bottle and can’t be put back.
How the United States deals with this unstoppable development will determine the shape of things to come in the 21st Century for good or ill.
Swamplaw Yankee
September 5, 2025 at 1:52 am
Yeah, why should he?
As tsarling Putin’s re-start of the ancient 1000 year old Genocide of Ukrainians continues unabated, the WEST refuses to discuss what Halloween costume the current Russkie Genociders are wearing as they butcher Ukrainians.
Putin’s father wore the Stalin Halloween costume, as the excuse for the Genocide of 20,000,000 Ukrainians in 1932-33.
Putin’s Grandpop wore the revolutionary costume of Kereinski as they butchered Ukrainians defending the free independent Ukraine lead by President Symon Petlura.
The Putin great-grandfather + various russkie butcher genociders loved to wear czarists and imperial halloween costumes as they invaded + mass abducted little ukrainian children.
That the current Puti the paedo wears a FSB haloween scare costume is just the ethnic russkies con of the observer that the russkie is somehow a “normal” ethnic race.
The ruskie loves making a Potemkin village imagery for the deception of ignorant western youth.
You know that every year the muscovite butchers will be back, searching for, mass abducting “Lolita” packages for genetically induced personal satiation, cash and cultural genocide.
Puti the paedo is actually just getting in the groove. It is only 11 years of USA POTUS Obama Democrat Cabal approved mass child abduction of Ukrainian youth. Puti the paedo is so very pleased that the MAGA POTUS Trumpkins is so facilitative in allowing the free no-cost abusive of little children by russkie deviants to continue as a USA give-away gift. -30-
Jim
September 6, 2025 at 3:03 pm
One should take the beam out of their own eye before calling for the other to do the same.
It’s widely accepted before the war Ukraine was the most corrupt country in Europe and the largest hub for black market activities in the World, including child sex trafficking and adult white slavery (if it was illegal or immoral, you name it, you could get it in Ukraine, for a price).
Now, the war has limited these activities, how much I can’t say, but nothing so far suggests Ukraine would be any different after the war, whatever is left of Ukraine.
And, indeed, these activities and general corruption have been a major factor for why Ukraine during its independence failed to step-up economically, as before the war it was the poorest country, per capita, in Europe, ironically, even though it potentially had the greatest natural resource base.
Sadly, the Banderite ideology wasn’t economic at all, but focused on ethnic differences and antagonism towards Russia and all Russians unwilling to be “absorbed” into supposed “Ukrainianism” or any other ethnicity seen as standing in the way of Ukraine’s political & economic objectives.
This revival of Ukrainianism has nothing to do with the original historic Ukraine, but rather, was the result of an Austro-Hungarian Empire stratagem to drain away support and interest in Russia culture by folks who called themselves ‘Rus” in Austro-Hungary, itself, not Russia, even though they may or may not have been Slavs, themselves.
Europe, today, has no room for ethnic hyper-chauvinism which animates Kiev’s political leaders and many movers & shakers within Ukraine.
Let’s be clear, there is a significant distinction between your average chauvinism (feeling good about your country & people or local sports team) and hyper-chauvinism which rests on an idea of supremacy to the point where you’re willing to kill & destroy to eliminate any rival ethnicity, not to your liking, or which won’t bow down to your supposed superior ethnic qualities.
Russia certainly wants security, but isn’t interested in hyper-chauvinism and all it’s destructive tendencies and proclivities.
I would have thought Europe after all the death & destruction of WWII would steer clear of repeating the same mistakes of the 1930’s, but here we are.