EUROPE’S last dictator has been paraded through North Korea in a grotesque show of power as his fellow tyrant host doubles down on nukes.
Belarusian president was given a lavish white horse cavalry escort and 21-gun salute in Pyongyang – cementing a sinister alliance of ’s closest cronies.
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un and Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko greet each other during an official meeting ceremony in PyongyangCredit: AP
Lukashenko received a lavish welcome in North Korea, including a white horse cavalry escort and a 21-gun saluteCredit: Reuters
The two dictators are expected to sign a ‘friendship and cooperation’ dealCredit: EPA
greeted him with a bear hug on Wednesday before rolling out ranks of soldiers, cheering children and a full military spectacle.
The pair strutted side by side past lines of goose-stepping troops as flag-waving children screamed their welcome.
They stood shoulder to shoulder to watch a thunderous military parade, with Kim’s forces marching in lockstep in a show of brute strength.
Lukashenko had already been swept in on a red carpet at the airport, greeted by rows of soldiers before being paraded through the capital in the over-the-top display.
He later paid tribute to the embalmed bodies of Kim’s father and grandfather at the Kumsusan Palace in another chilling stop in the dictator’s tightly choreographed visit.
The two iron-fisted rulers – – are using the summit to flaunt their defiance of the West.
Kim has already fuelled Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with
Meanwhile, Lukashenko handed his country to Putin as a launchpad for the 2022 invasion and now hosts Russian on ‘s doorstep.
The pair are expected to sign a “friendship and cooperation” deal during the two-day visit, despite trade between the isolated regimes being described as “modest”.
Belarusian foreign minister Maxim Ryzhenkov admitted: “The current situation is simply pushing us into each other’s arms.
“We’re looking for friends. Friends may be far away, but they are very loyal, reliable, and respectful.”
But critics say the whole charade is little more than dictators clinging together.
Exiled opposition figure Valery Tsepkalo blasted: “There will be no benefit to from this visit. The same for . They are just demonstrating that they’re not isolated and they can have a meeting. They don’t have any normal trade.”
Kim rolled out ranks of soldiers and a full military spectacle for his fellow despotCredit: AFP
The two Putin allies walk past cheering children waving North Korean and Belarusian flagsCredit: AP
The pair also watched a military parade by Kim’s troopsCredit: AFP
The summit comes as Kim ramps up his nuclear threats,
In a fiery speech, he claimed global conflict proves he was right to cling onto nukes, and warned they are now permanent.
“The present situation clearly proves” was right to reject pressure to give up its weapons, Kim said, insisting its nuclear status is “irreversible.”
Kim also accused the US of “acts of state sponsored and aggression”, while pushing for a stronger anti-West alliance.
Experts warn the rogue state is rapidly expanding its arsenal, with dozens of warheads and missiles capable of striking the US mainland.
Both regimes have been battered by sanctions – North Korea over its weapons programmes and Belarus over its brutal repression and backing of Putin.
Yet instead of backing down, they are doubling up – alongside – in an emerging axis of anti-Western powers.
Kim has even sent thousands of troops to support Russian forces, tightening military ties with the .
And Lukashenko’s visit comes just days after he freed 250 detainees following talks with a US envoy, amid signs may be softening its stance.
Despite years of isolation, has engaged both men in the past – meeting Kim three times and reopening contact with Lukashenko.
But any hopes of diplomacy look bleak as Kim refuses to give up his nuclear weapons, and instead puts them at the heart of his regime’s future.
Meanwhile, Moscow continues to stir tensions, with Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova saying that joint US-South Korea military drills amounted to “open preparation for war”.
Washington and Seoul launched their annual large-scale exercises in in mid-March, saying they were defensive and designed to test readiness against potential military threats from North Korea.
Zakharova said on Wednesday: “Officially, they [the drills] were described as defensive exercises, but judging by the activities carried out during them and the equipment deployed, these manoeuvres are nothing less than open preparations for war.”
Lukashenko landed at Pyongyang International Airport on Wednesday, with rows of soldiers and a red carpet waiting for himCredit: Reuters
The Belarusian leader then paid tribute to the late leaders of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, during a visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the SunCredit: EPA
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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