SAEDNEWS: Putin, Iran’s Pezeshkian, and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un will attend China’s Victory Day parade, signaling closer alignment with Beijing as Western leaders largely boycott the event.
Putin, Pezeshkian, and Kim Jong Un to Join China’s Victory Day Parade
Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian, the presidents of Russia and Iran, along with Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, will participate in China’s Victory Day parade marking Japan’s defeat in World War II.
According to Mehr, citing Reuters, this will be the first public appearance of Putin and Kim alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping, viewed as a sign of collective defense amid mounting Western pressure.
Among the 26 foreign leaders attending the parade, no Western leaders will be present except for Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose participation was confirmed by China’s Foreign Ministry.
Russia, which considers China a strategic partner, has faced sweeping Western sanctions since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, its economy does not appear to have suffered a crippling blow. Putin, against whom the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant, last visited China in 2024.
The parade, marking the 79th anniversary of Japan’s official surrender in World War II, will also host Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, and Woo Won-shik, Speaker of South Korea’s National Assembly.
In addition, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić will attend the parade, and Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General, will represent the organization at the ceremony.
The event, extensively planned and designed for multiple segments, will be one of China’s largest parades in recent years, showcasing its most advanced military equipment, including fighter jets, defense systems, and hypersonic weapons.
