President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday after a significant military parade in Beijing, where the Russian leader expressed gratitude for North Korea’s assistance in expelling Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region.
The parade marked the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II and gathered over twenty heads of state, representing a diverse assembly of nations that have contested or challenged U.S. global supremacy. The event was presided over by Chinese President Xi Jinping and showcased fighter jets, tanks, missiles, and formations of marching soldiers.
Following the parade, Putin and Kim engaged in a bilateral discussion, their first face-to-face conversation since Putin’s unusual visit to North Korea last summer, during which both nations entered into a strategic partnership that encompasses a mutual defense agreement.
“In accordance with your initiative, as it is well known, your special forces contributed to liberating the Kursk region,” Putin remarked to Kim during televised comments. “This action aligned completely with our new agreement. I must highlight the bravery and valor displayed by your troops.”
“We will always honor the sacrifices made by your military and the families of your soldiers,” he added.
Addressing Putin as “comrade,” Kim expressed gratitude for the commendations aimed at North Korean soldiers, noting that the relationship between their countries has been “expanding in every aspect” since the signing of their strategic partnership.
“If there’s any way we can assist Russia, we will certainly do so. We view it as a brotherly obligation and will strive to support Russia,” Kim stated, according to a summary from the Kremlin.
“I believe we need to make significant progress to ensure that these efforts align with the demands of our time and contribute to enhancing the well-being of our nations,” the North Korean leader added.
At the conclusion of their nearly three-hour meeting, Putin extended an invitation to Kim to come to Moscow.
In April, Pyongyang acknowledged its troop deployment to Russia, confirming that some personnel had lost their lives in combat. Meanwhile, the United States has alleged that the Kremlin is providing North Korea with advanced space and satellite technology in exchange for military backing.
On Tuesday, South Korean intelligence officials reported that approximately 2,000 North Korean soldiers sent to assist Russia against Ukrainian forces are believed to have died. They indicated that Pyongyang plans to send an additional 6,000 soldiers and engineers, with around 1,000 combat engineers already present in Russia.
The military parade in Beijing and the recent annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tianjin have been interpreted by many observers as a show of resistance to U.S. President Donald Trump’s disruptive “America First” foreign policy.
On Truth Social, Trump accused China, Russia, and North Korea of “colluding” against the United States. Russian officials dismissed the claims, suggesting that the American president’s remarks were intended to be “ironic.”
