Putin and Kim Prepare for Possible Meeting in China Amid Strengthening Ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may be preparing for discussions during their forthcoming trip to China.

China’s state television network, CCTV, has placed Putin and Kim at the forefront of a shortlist of 26 world leaders invited to a military parade on September 3, which commemorates the conclusion of the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. North Korean state media has verified Kim’s intention to attend.

Putin is slated to visit China from August 31 to September 3 for a regional summit, to hold bilateral discussions with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and to participate in the WWII commemorations. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov characterized the visit on Wednesday as “entirely unprecedented.”

“It is rather uncommon for Kim to take part in a Victory Day event, and this could be the first instance where he meets with numerous heads of state, including Putin,” Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told Reuters.

The South China Morning Post noted that “the stage is set” for a public appearance by Putin and Kim alongside Xi, signaling a show of resistance against U.S. influence.

Since Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia and North Korea have enhanced their diplomatic and military cooperation. The two nations entered into a mutual defense agreement during Putin’s visit to Pyongyang last year.

In late 2024 and early this year, North Korea sent thousands of troops to Russia to assist in countering a Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region. South Korean intelligence reports indicate that around 600 North Korean soldiers lost their lives in the conflict.

Pyongyang only acknowledged its troop deployment to Russia in April, admitting that some were killed in action. Meanwhile, the United States has accused the Kremlin of providing North Korea with advanced space and satellite technologies in exchange for its assistance.