Just two days ago, Kim hosted Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Pyongyang. First visit by a top Chinese official in 6 years. What Kim said leaves no room for interpretation: TOTAL support for Xi Jinping’s vision, absolute backing on Taiwan, and that deepening the alliance is the “firm and unwavering policy” of North Korea. Wang Yi responded that the relationship is entering a “new phase.”

And so no one would take it as empty words, North Korea fired missiles on three consecutive days right before the meeting: cluster munitions and a bomb designed to destroy enemy power grids.

With Putin the tone is even rawer. In his year-end letter, Kim wrote what analysts describe as wartime alliance language: “The most genuine alliance, forged by sharing blood in the same trench, through life and death.” That’s not diplomacy. That’s a military oath of loyalty.