Putin, Kim Jong Un talk in Beijing following massive Chinese military parade

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un met on Wednesday after attending a Chinese military parade celebrating the anniversary of the end of World War II.

Putin and Kim were meeting at the Diaoyutai state guest house in Beijing after spending time with other world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the parade.

The two men traveled to the bilateral talks in the same car after departing a formal reception, according to the Kremlin on social media, per The Associated Press.

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Putin kicked off the meeting by praising the North Korean soldiers for their “bravery and heroism” in fighting alongside Russian troops in Moscow’s war against Ukraine, according to the AP, which said the North Koreans were specifically helping to keep Ukraine from attacking Russia’s Kursk border region.

South Korea estimates that 15,000 North Korean troops have been sent to Russia since last year.

Along with manpower, North Korea has also supplied Moscow with ballistic missiles and artillery, among other military equipment.

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Kim said his country’s cooperation with Russia has “significantly strengthened” since last June when both leaders signed a strategic partnership.

Kim did not bring up the Russia-Ukraine war, per the AP, but told Putin that he would do “everything possible to help” the people of Russia in whatever way is needed.

“If there’s anything I can do for you and the people of Russia, if there is more that needs to be done, I will consider it as a fraternal duty, an obligation that we surely need to bear, and will be prepared to do everything possible to help,” Kim said, according to the AP.

The bilateral meeting between the two marks the first time Kim has been to Beijing since 2019 as he seeks to strengthen ties with China and Russia.

Kim had his senior party and government officials, including Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, with him during the trip, KCNA added. 

The visit comes a couple of weeks after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met with President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., where he emphasized trilateral cooperation to counter North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile programs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.