President Donald Trump sent his warmest regards to the leaders of China, Russia, and North Korea.
The pleasantries, though, came with a twist — in the very same breath, he accused Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un of conspiring against the United States as the trio gathered at a massive military parade in Beijing on Wednesday.
Though the grand display of missiles and marching troops may have been capped by the release of 80,000 doves into the skies of the Chinese capital, the American president suggested he saw something altogether more sinister behind the spectacle.
“May President Xi and the wonderful people of China have a great and lasting day of celebration,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America.”
Trump also said he was “very disappointed in President Putin,” after the Kremlin brushed aside his efforts to arrange a summit with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and continued to unleash intense strikes across Ukraine.
He told The Scott Jennings Radio Show that the U.S. will “be doing something to help people live,” but did not elaborate.
Putin said Wednesday that he was ready to hold talks with Zelenskyy, if the Ukrainian leader came to Moscow.
“I have never ruled out the possibility of such a meeting,” the Russian leader said. “But is there any point? Let’s see.”
The Kremlin earlier dismissed Trump’s accusations of a burgeoning conspiracy in Beijing.
“No one was plotting any conspiracies, no one was plotting anything,” foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told state television Wednesday. “Moreover, no one even had such a thought.”
Ushakov said he suspected — and hoped — that there was at least a little irony in Trump’s ire.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said later that the nations had been acting “for the greater good of the peoples of our countries, not against third countries,” saying nobody “has the time or desire” for plotting.
Conspiracy or not, the parade and its trio of high-profile attendees served as an unmistakable message to Trump and others watching in the West.
Xi defiantly declared China was “unstoppable” and said that humanity must choose between peace and war as he outlined his alternative to the U.S.-led global order that has been buffeted by added turbulence in the Trump era.
On the surface, the “Victory Day” parade marked the 80th anniversary of Imperial Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II.
In practice, it was a colossal display of strength, showcasing hypersonic missiles, drones, and fighter jets as part of Xi’s push to modernize the military and challenge the West.
A host of countries at odds with the U.S. and its allies were in attendance for this display of unity by the “Axis of Upheaval,” marked by its collective support for Russia as it attacks Ukraine.
No U.S. delegation was present in Beijing, but one notable American seemed to be watching on.
Trump struck a more relaxed tone on The Scott Jennings Radio Show earlier in the day, saying he was “not concerned at all” about China and Russia possibly forming an axis.
“We have the strongest military in the world by far,” he said. “They would never use their military on us, believe me. That would be the worst thing they could ever do.”
China has strived to appear neutral in the war but has provided Russia with a diplomatic and economic lifeline, while Putin thanked Pyongyang on the sidelines of the Beijing gathering for sending troops to fight against Ukraine. Kim promised to do “everything I can to assist” Moscow.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, whose country has provided military support for Russia, was also in Beijing.
The war in Ukraine has been “a key catalyst in pulling together these countries,” said Edward Howell, a lecturer in international relations at the University of Oxford.
“This axis of authoritarian states is strengthening,” he told NBC News. “It’s not just individual threats coming from North Korea or Russia or China, it’s the links between all three of them.”
And Trump did sound more concerned as he watched on later.
In his Truth Social post, Trump mentioned the “massive amount of support and ‘blood’” the U.S. gave China during World War II.
“Many Americans died in China’s quest for Victory and Glory. I hope that they are rightfully Honored and Remembered for their Bravery and Sacrifice!”
