Xi, Putin & Kim: The Silent Alliance Shaking the West

HELSINKI — President Donald Trump caused a stir at the Global Stability Summit here on Wednesday, accusing China, Russia, and North Korea of forming a “dangerous new axis” aimed at undermining American and European interests.

While summit officials swiftly dismissed Trump’s usually blunt remarks, analysts suggest that Trump’s outburst might have revealed a geopolitical reality that many have been hesitant to acknowledge: a burgeoning, informal alliance between the three nations, united by a shared opposition to the United States.

There’s no formal treaty, but the evidence of deep coordination is accumulating. A European diplomat, who requested anonymity, remarked, “This isn’t an alliance like NATO. It’s an alignment of convenience.”

They explained that the members perceive a common adversary in Washington, which serves as a powerful unifying force.

Recent actions appear to support this view. In the past year, Russia and China have conducted their largest-ever joint naval drills in the Sea of Japan. Beijing has also become an indispensable economic lifeline for Moscow, helping it withstand Western sanctions.

Meanwhile, U.S. intelligence reports, including the Director of National Intelligence’s Annual Threat Assessment, have pointed to North Korea supplying Russia with artillery shells and missiles for its war effort in Ukraine.

Data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) shows that trade between Russia and China has surged to record levels, exceeding $200 billion last year, a clear sign of their deepening economic ties in the face of sanctions.

The primary driver is a shared sense of pressure from the West. Each of the three leaders believes the U.S. is actively working to limit their country’s power and influence. “

Whether it’s U.S. support for Taiwan, the expansion of NATO, or military exercises off the Korean peninsula, Beijing, Moscow, and Pyongyang all feel targeted,” the diplomat added. “Their response has been to coordinate their pushback.”

This coordination is most visible at the United Nations, where Russia and China have consistently used their veto power to shield North Korea from new sanctions and block U.S.-led resolutions.

However, sources caution against viewing the group as a unified bloc with a single goal. China is clearly the senior partner in the relationship, with an economy that dwarfs Russia’s and North Korea’s combined. Russia, once a global superpower, is now increasingly reliant on Chinese goodwill. North Korea remains a volatile and unpredictable actor.

Still, Trump’s comments, however undiplomatic, have forced a difficult conversation into the open. The quiet, strategic alignment between Xi, Putin, and Kim is no longer a fringe theory. It’s an active and growing challenge to the international order that the U.S. and its allies have led for decades.