Putin aide Yury Ushakov said he hoped the US president was joking when he suggested the three nations were plotting against Washington
Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said on Wednesday he hoped US President Donald Trump was joking when he suggested the leaders of Russia, China, and North Korea were “conspiring” against Washington.
Trump posted the claim on Truth Social during a military parade in Beijing marking the World War II victory over Japan. Russian President Vladimir Putin was in attendance alongside Chinese leader Xi Jinping and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.
In his post, Trump said many Americans had died in China’s “quest for Victory and Glory” and should be honored. He congratulated Xi, before adding: “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against the United States.”
In an interview with Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin, Ushakov said he hoped Trump had made the comments in jest. “Nobody is plotting any conspiracies here. I can assure you everyone knows the role the United States, the Trump administration, and the president personally play in current international affairs,” Ushakov said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also sought to play down the remarks, saying he hoped Trump was speaking figuratively about a “plot against the United States.” “Nobody is hatching such plots,” he said.
Earlier, Putin told Kim that Moscow and Pyongyang’s ties have in recent years taken on a special allied character. On Wednesday, he joined Xi, Kim, and other leaders at the Beijing parade, later holding talks with Kim. The events followed the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, where Putin met Xi and the leaders of India, Mongolia, Slovakia, Pakistan, Serbia, Uzbekistan, and Belarus to discuss energy, trade, regional issues and bilateral ties.
Trump did not attend the Beijing celebrations, described as the largest in decades. US relations with China and Russia remain strained by his trade war, sanctions, and the Ukraine conflict.
Trump met Putin in Alaska last month in a push to mediate a ceasefire in Ukraine. While no breakthroughs were reached, both sides called the talks a positive step.
