Pomp, pageantry and prowess at Beijing's military parade

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L) speaks with China's President Xi Jinping after a group photograph before a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II, in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on September 3, 2025. (Photo by Alexander KAZAKOV / POOL / AFP)