Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held high‑profile talks in Beijing on Wednesday, marking a rare and closely watched diplomatic moment.
The two leaders met at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse after attending a massive military parade in the heart of the Chinese capital, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
According to the Kremlin, Putin and Kim traveled together from a formal reception to the talks in the same car. After a meeting between their delegations, the two leaders sat down for a private one‑on‑one discussion. Putin also extended an invitation for Kim to visit Russia again, following his last trip in 2023.
Speaking before journalists, Putin praised the “bravery and heroism” of North Korean soldiers who, he said, fought alongside Russian troops to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk border region.
South Korean intelligence estimates that North Korea has sent roughly 15,000 troops to Russia since last year, along with significant military supplies — including ballistic missiles and artillery — to support Moscow’s three‑year war in Ukraine.
Kim, in his opening remarks, said ties between Pyongyang and Moscow had “significantly strengthened” since the two countries signed a strategic partnership pact in June last year during a summit in North Korea. While avoiding direct mention of the war, he pledged that “if there’s anything I can do for you and the people of Russia… I will consider it a fraternal duty” and would be ready to “do everything possible to help.”
The Beijing celebrations marked the first time in his 14‑year rule that Kim has attended a major multilateral event — and the first time he, Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping have been in the same venue.
Diplomatic watchers are now looking for signs of a possible Kim–Xi meeting, or even a private trilateral session with Putin, though none of the three governments has confirmed such plans.
Adding to the intrigue, former U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media: “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America.”
Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov responded with a touch of humor, saying Trump’s remark was “not without irony” and insisting, “No one has been plotting anything… None of the three leaders had even thought about such a thing.”
