Kim Jong Un pledges 'full support' for Russia's army after meeting with Putin in Beijing
Meeting on the sidelines of China’s World War Two surrender commemorations brought the North Korean leader together with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, state media reported
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country would "fully support" Russia's army as a "fraternal duty" after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of China's commemorations marking the formal surrender of Japan in World War Two, state media KCNA reported Thursday.
Kim and Putin met on Sept. 3 in Beijing during ceremonies that also included Chinese President Xi Jinping. State media said Putin described ties with Pyongyang as "special," and KCNA published photos showing Kim standing and walking alongside Putin and Xi at a large military parade — the first public appearance of the three leaders together since the early Cold War era.
KCNA quoted Kim as saying North Korea would "fully support" Russia's armed forces, language framed by the North Korean outlet as a fraternal obligation. The state news agency also released images showing friendly interactions, including an embrace between the two leaders and scenes of them riding together in a limousine.
Analysts said the joint appearance and the photographs represented a significant propaganda victory for the reclusive North Korean leader, providing rare public evidence of high-level engagement with both Moscow and Beijing. Kim's trip to Beijing was described by state media as his first opportunity to meet Putin and Xi together, and he was reported to have mingled with more than two dozen other heads of state and government at the event.
The Beijing ceremonies drew a broad international delegation and were marked by a large-scale military parade. State coverage emphasized the camaraderie among the three leaders, while official Russian and North Korean statements framed the interaction in terms of longstanding ties and mutual support.
Independent verification of the private discussions between Kim and Putin was not immediately available beyond the reporting and images issued by state media. Western and regional governments did not issue immediate comment on the meeting, and no detailed joint statement outlining concrete agreements was released by either Pyongyang or Moscow in the hours after the encounter.
The public display of solidarity comes amid ongoing tensions involving Russia's military engagements abroad and persistent international sanctions on North Korea. Observers say that such high-profile meetings can have diplomatic and symbolic significance even when they do not produce immediate policy announcements.
State media coverage of the meeting and the publication of photographs underscore the importance both Pyongyang and Moscow placed on signaling a closer relationship. The exchanges in Beijing follow years of intermittent engagement between North Korea and Russia and come as China hosts events that brought together a wide range of world leaders for the Sept. 3 commemorations.
Both Pyongyang and Moscow have historically used state media to highlight diplomatic ties, and the images released after the Beijing events are likely to be incorporated into domestic narratives in each country. Further details of the discussions, including any security or military cooperation measures, await additional disclosures from official channels or independent confirmation.