The summit’s message was loud and clear: Russia, China, and North Korea have one another’s backs. “In effect, China and Russia are sort of enablers for North Korea to go ahead with the nuclear and missile program,” said Wi Sung-lac, former South Korean ambassador to Russia. This week’s meetings celebrated a series of firsts for North Korea. Thursday’s military parade was the first such event North Korea invited foreign delegates to since February 2018. Next month, the United States, South Korea, and Japan will hold their first independent summit to discuss security cooperation against North Korea.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 29, 2023 11:02 UTC