Kim has long sought recognition as a nuclear power. Xi may have just given it to him

Of the more than two dozen foreign leaders invited to Xi Jinping’s massive military parade in Beijing last week, no one reaped a bigger diplomatic windfall than Kim Jong Un.

The reclusive North Korean leader seized the global spotlight with a high-profile debut in multilateral diplomacy, standing shoulder to shoulder with Xi and Russia’s Vladimir Putin in a defiant demonstration to the West that he enjoys the backing of the world’s two most powerful autocrats – and a central role in the alternative global order they are shaping.

On the sidelines, Kim underscored his bond with Putin, who vowed to “never forget” the sacrifices of North Korean troops fighting for Russia against Ukraine. He also held his first summit with Xi in six years , restoring ties with a longtime patron strain