North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to give Russia his country’s “full support” in its war against Ukraine, describing it as a “fraternal duty,” according to state media in Pyongyang.
The commitment was made during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, where both men attended China’s commemorations marking Japan’s surrender in the Second World War.
It was the first time Kim, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared together on the same stage, with the three leaders standing side by side at a vast military parade in the Chinese capital.
The rare joint appearance was immediately interpreted by analysts as a show of defiance aimed at Western governments and a demonstration of deepening ties between Moscow, Pyongyang and Beijing.
Kim, who rarely travels abroad, used the occasion to hold direct talks with Putin. State media reported the two leaders exchanged “candid opinions” on key international and regional issues.
Putin, for his part, described ties with North Korea as “special ones of trust, friendship and alliance,” according to KCNA.
The Russian president went further, praising North Korean soldiers who are reported to be fighting in Ukraine, alongside Moscow’s forces.
Intelligence reports suggest Pyongyang has already supplied Russia with artillery shells, missiles and troops, making it one of Moscow’s few international backers on the battlefield.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service this week estimated that around 2,000 North Korean soldiers deployed to Ukraine have been killed in action.
Officials in Seoul believe Pyongyang intends to send a further 6,000 troops, with around 1,000 already present in Russia to bolster frontline combat units.
For Kim, the Beijing visit marked the first time he had been seen in person with both Putin and Xi, raising his international profile after years of diplomatic isolation.
Photographs released by North Korea’s official press agency showed Kim smiling and walking alongside the Russian and Chinese presidents during the parade.
Rodong Sinmun, Pyongyang’s state newspaper, splashed the images across its Thursday front page, describing the event as a milestone for Kim’s leadership.
Despite the prominence of the visit, Kim’s exact whereabouts on Thursday remained unconfirmed, fuelling speculation about his onward travel plans.
The two leaders also discussed long-term partnership strategies, KCNA reported, with a particular focus on military and economic cooperation.
Both men reaffirmed what the agency called a “steadfast will” to strengthen bilateral relations to the highest level.
Observers noted a peculiar moment after the talks when Kim’s aides were seen scrubbing the chair and side table he had used — a measure interpreted as an effort to protect sensitive health information from being gathered by foreign intelligence services.
The deepening partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang comes just a year after the countries signed a mutual defence treaty.
That agreement commits each side to come to the other’s aid if either is attacked — a pact that has fuelled concerns in Seoul, Washington and European capitals.
Western officials say the tightening alliance between Russia, North Korea and China risks altering the balance of power in Asia and prolonging the war in Ukraine.
The Beijing meeting, analysts argue, provided Kim with valuable propaganda, showcasing him as an equal alongside two of the world’s most powerful leaders.
At the same time, it allowed Putin to display his ability to draw military support from beyond Russia’s traditional partners, despite sweeping international sanctions.
China, by hosting the event, further demonstrated its role at the centre of a new axis of resistance to Western influence, cementing ties with two countries heavily sanctioned and diplomatically isolated.
The symbolism of the three leaders appearing together for the first time since the Cold War was not lost on international observers.
