Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday expressed gratitude to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un for assisting Russia in driving Ukrainian forces out of the Kursk region, praising their troops for fighting “heroically.”
During a meeting with Kim in Beijing, Putin lauded their growing “trust and friendship” and revealed that sending North Korean soldiers was Kim’s own initiative.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine over three years ago, North Korea has become one of Moscow’s closest allies, supplying thousands of troops and containers of weapons to aid Kremlin efforts after Kyiv’s surprise incursion into western Russia last year.
“On your initiative, your special forces took part in the liberation of the Kursk region,” Putin said at the start of the meeting, captured on video by AFP.
“This was fully in line with our new agreement. Your soldiers fought bravely and heroically,” he added. “We will never forget the sacrifices made by your armed forces and their families.”
Last year, Moscow and Pyongyang signed a strategic partnership pact, binding both nations to provide military and other support if either comes under attack.
According to Russian state news agency TASS, the Beijing talks lasted two-and-a-half hours, ending with Putin personally escorting Kim to his car.
In footage released by the Kremlin, the two leaders shook hands, embraced, and Putin invited Kim to visit Russia again.
“We are waiting for you,” Putin said warmly.
Kim, who last visited Russia’s Far East in 2023, made the trip to Beijing on his armored train. Both leaders attended a parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s WWII surrender.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump accused Putin, Kim, and Chinese President Xi Jinping of gathering in Beijing to “conspire” against Washington—remarks the Kremlin dismissed as “ironic.”
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