Putin meets North Korea's Kim in Beijing for bilateral talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in Beijing on Wednesday for bilateral talks following their attendance at a major military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The two leaders met formally at the Diaoyutai state guest house after traveling from a formal reception to the negotiations in the same car, the Kremlin said in a post on social media. After an initial meeting between Russian and North Korean delegations, Putin and Kim held a private, one-on-one session. Putin also invited Kim to visit Russia again, following the North Korean leader's last trip there in 2023.

Speaking in front of journalists as the talks began, Putin praised what he described as the bravery and heroism of North Korean soldiers who "fought alongside" Russian troops to repel what he called a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk border region. The Kremlin did not provide further operational details or independent corroboration of the incident.

South Korean assessments cited by regional officials say North Korea has sent roughly 15,000 troops to Russia since last year and has transferred significant military equipment, including ballistic missiles and artillery, to support Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine. Those assessments underscore a widening security partnership between Pyongyang and Moscow amid the conflict that began in 2022.

The meeting in Beijing followed a parade in the Chinese capital that drew numerous foreign leaders and marked a high-profile diplomatic setting for the talks. North Korea's participation and its leader's proximity to both Chinese and Russian officials highlighted deepening ties among the three countries on issues of security and foreign policy.

The Kremlin provided limited immediate detail on the outcome of the discussions, and the two governments did not release text of any agreements. Western and regional governments have previously expressed concern about military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, but neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has publicly acknowledged specific terms of arms transfers beyond routine diplomatic statements.

The bilateral session in Beijing continues a pattern of high-level engagement between Putin and Kim that has included direct visits and reciprocal diplomatic exchanges since at least 2023. Observers say the meetings are likely to focus on military, economic and diplomatic coordination, though the full scope of any arrangements discussed on Wednesday was not disclosed.