Vladimir Putin extended an invitation to Kim Jong-un to visit Russia during a lengthy meeting in Beijing, held alongside China’s major military event. Kim pledged to provide full support to Moscow.
The offer, conveyed through interpreters and shown in a Kremlin-released video, came as Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accused Putin of acting with impunity following new attacks on Ukraine.
Putin and Kim, the leaders of Russia and North Korea, attended the Chinese capital as guests of Xi Jinping for an event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, referred to in China as the war against Japanese aggression.
North Korea has supplied weapons and personnel to aid Russia in its conflict with Ukraine.
The two leaders joined Xi at the opening of Wednesday’s ceremony, walking together on the red carpet toward Tiananmen Square. This is believed to be the first instance of the three leaders appearing together in the same place.
During a more than two-hour meeting, Kim was seen embracing Putin and telling him, “See you soon.”
“We are waiting for you, come visit us,” Putin responded.
A trip to Russia would mark only the third time Kim has traveled abroad in six years. His first trip was to Russia’s far east in 2023, followed by this week’s visit to Beijing, conducted via an armored train.
North Korea has emerged as a crucial ally for Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Pyongyang has supplied artillery and missiles to Moscow, as well as deploying thousands of troops to Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces had crossed the border. Initially, these troop movements were denied.
Last year, Russia and North Korea signed an agreement pledging mutual military and other assistance in case of an attack on either nation.
Putin expressed gratitude for North Korea’s military support, commending its fighters in Kursk for their “courageous and heroic” actions.
Putin’s visit to Beijing followed the Shanghai Cooperation Summit in Tianjin and a one-on-one meeting with Xi. It coincided with a large-scale assault on Ukrainian infrastructure.
Hundreds of drones and multiple missiles targeted western and central Ukraine, hitting civilian energy sites. Ukraine reported that at least four railway workers were wounded. The bombardment also prompted Poland to mobilize defense aircraft.
On Wednesday, Zelenskyy accused Putin of “showing his impunity” and called for stronger sanctions. “The world must respond. The continuation of this aggression is only possible due to insufficient pressure, especially on Russia’s war economy,” Zelenskyy said before discussions with Baltic and Nordic officials in Denmark.
Zelenskyy has agreed to consider Donald Trump’s proposals for a ceasefire and direct negotiations.
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