Putin lauds 'brave' North Korean soldiers who fought Ukraine during talks with Kim
Editor's note: The article was updated with additional details.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in Beijing on Sept. 3, thanking him for Pyongyang's assistance during the war against Ukraine.
North Korea has become a key ally to Russia during the full-scale invasion, providing artillery, missiles, and thousands of troops.
"It is well known that your special forces took part in the liberation of Kursk Oblast at your initiative, in full compliance with our new treaty," Putin told Kim during the meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in western Beijing.
"I would like to note that your warriors fought bravely and displayed heroism. We will never forget the sacrifices made by your armed forces and the families of your servicemen."
Kim initially dispatched around 11,000-12,000 troops to Russia in late 2024 to help fend off a Ukrainian incursion in Kursk Oblast.
After Moscow retook much of the region in the spring of this year, both Putin and Kim publicly acknowledged the participation of North Korean soldiers in the war, marking an unprecedented escalation of the conflict.
Drawing parallels to the fight against the Axis Powers during World War II, Putin thanked Kim for "joining the fight against modern neo-Nazism," referring to the Kremlin's false narratives about an alleged Nazi-led regime in Ukraine.
During the meeting in Beijing — reportedly attended by Kim's powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong — the North Korean dictator thanked Putin for appreciating the role of his troops. He called providing assistance to Russia a "fraternal duty."
According to Ukrainian and Western officials, North Korea is receiving nuclear and missile technology, cash, and other support in exchange for military assistance.
Putin also said the two would discuss bilateral relations in "all dimensions and directions," and invited Kim to visit Russia.
The talks followed a large-scale military parade hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, commemorating the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender and the end of World War II.
The parade marked the first time Putin, Kim, and Xi were seen together, highlighting deepening ties among the three countries and reducing the isolation of both the Russian and North Korean leaders.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has pledged to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, reacted by writing to Xi: "Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America."
Putin's foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, suggested that Trump's comment about a "conspiracy" against the United States was meant as irony.
"I think (Trump) did not say without irony that supposedly 'these three' are plotting against the United States," Ushakov said. "I mean, no conspiracy — nobody was plotting anything, nobody was weaving anything, no conspiracy."
Putin previously met Kim while he was visiting Pyongyang in June 2024 to sign the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, a deal that stipulated mutual support if one country is attacked and preceded the dispatch of North Korean troops to Russia.
"Since the signing of our interstate treaty last June, relations between our countries have been developing in all aspects," Kim told Putin during the meeting.
"Within the framework of this treaty and in accordance with our obligations under this treaty with the brotherly Russian people and army, we fought together."
According to South Korea's intelligence, Pyongyang plans to send an additional 6,000 troops to Russia as part of its third wave of deployment, while some 1,000 combat engineers have already arrived.
A senior Western diplomat told the Kyiv Independent that North Korea could have sent even more troops, with Ukrainian officials estimating Pyongyang's contribution to be between 20,000 and 30,000 soldiers.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service estimates that some 2,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed in the war.
