Strategic Alliance Strengthens: Putin and Kim Meet Post-Beijing Military Parade

President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday after a major military parade in Beijing, where the Russian president expressed gratitude to Kim for North Korea’s assistance in expelling Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region.

The parade celebrated the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, and it gathered over 25 heads of state, representing a diverse array of nations that have contested or questioned U.S. supremacy in global matters. Chinese President Xi Jinping oversaw the impressive military showcase, featuring fighter aircraft, tanks, missiles, and columns of soldiers marching in precise formation.

Following the event, Putin and Kim held a bilateral discussion, marking their first face-to-face meeting since Putin’s rare visit to North Korea last summer, which resulted in a strategic partnership agreement that encompasses a mutual defense clause.

«Thanks to your initiative, as you are aware, your special forces participated in the liberation of the Kursk region,» Putin stated in televised comments to Kim. «This was entirely in line with our recent agreement. I want to emphasize that your soldiers displayed incredible courage and heroism.»

«We will always remember the sacrifices made by your military and the families of your servicemen,» he added.

Kim referred to Putin as «comrade» and expressed gratitude for the compliments regarding North Korean troops, noting that the relationship between their nations has been «advancing in all aspects» since they formalized their strategic partnership.

«If there’s anything we can do to support Russia, we will certainly take action, viewing it as our fraternal responsibility, and we will do our utmost to assist Russia,» Kim said, according to a Kremlin summary of their conversation.

«I believe we need to make significant progress so that everything aligns with the needs of the times and contributes to the welfare of our peoples,» the North Korean leader remarked.

At the conclusion of their nearly three-hour meeting, Putin extended an invitation for Kim to visit Moscow.

In April, Pyongyang acknowledged its troop deployment to Russia, admitting that some had died in combat. Meanwhile, the United States has accused the Kremlin of providing North Korea with advanced space and satellite technology in exchange for military aid.

On Tuesday, South Korean intelligence officials claimed that approximately 2,000 North Korean soldiers sent to assist Russia in its fight against Ukraine were believed to have died. They reported 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, along with the recent gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tianjin over the weekend, has been interpreted by many as a demonstration of defiance against former 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, to which Russian officials responded by suggesting the American president was being «ironic.»