North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has promised to fully back Moscow after meeting with Vladimir Putin in Beijing, where the Russian president invited him to visit Russia soon.
The two leaders sat down for more than two hours on the sidelines of China’s largest military parade, hosted by President Xi Jinping. At the end of the talks, Kim hugged Putin and told him, “see you soon,” while Putin replied, “We are waiting for you, come visit us.”
If Kim accepts, it would be only his third trip abroad in six years, following his 2023 visit to Russia’s far east and this week’s journey to Beijing by armored train.
North Korea’s growing role in Russia’s war
North Korea has become one of Russia’s key supporters since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Pyongyang has sent artillery shells, missiles, and thousands of troops to fight in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces staged a cross-border attack. Although initially denied, Putin on Wednesday publicly thanked Kim for the military support, praising North Korean fighters for acting “courageously and heroically.”
Last year, Moscow and Pyongyang signed a pact obliging both sides to provide military and other assistance if either comes under attack.
Putin under fire as Ukraine reels from strikes
Putin’s trip to Beijing came just after Russia unleashed a massive overnight assault on Ukraine. Roughly 500 drones and two dozen missiles targeted energy facilities and other infrastructure across central and western Ukraine, prompting Poland to scramble defense aircraft.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Putin of acting with “impunity,” and called for tougher global sanctions. “This aggression continues only because there isn’t enough pressure on Russia’s war economy,” Zelenskyy said ahead of talks with Baltic and Nordic leaders in Denmark.
Beijing walks a fine line
Putin and Kim joined Xi at the opening of Wednesday’s parade in Tiananmen Square, the first time the three leaders have appeared together in public. While there’s been no sign of a formal three-way meeting, the rare gathering highlights China’s balancing act.
Xi has declared a “no-limits” partnership with Putin but remains cautious about North Korea’s open support for the war. Analysts say Beijing wants to keep ties with both countries without triggering new sanctions from the US and its allies.
Peace talks or propaganda?
In Beijing, Putin claimed Russian forces were advancing “on all fronts” but said peace talks were possible “if common sense prevails.” He insisted such talks should happen in Moscow, an idea Ukraine’s foreign minister quickly dismissed as “unacceptable.”
Putin is already wanted by the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Some legal experts argue Kim could also face charges for aiding Russia’s war effort.
For now, Kim’s embrace of Putin signals an even deeper alliance, one that could further complicate efforts to end the conflict.
