Message Against the U.S.: China, Russia, and North Korea Meet at the Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un following a major military parade in Beijing.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un following a major military parade in Beijing. The parade marked the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II and brought together leaders from countries challenging U.S. influence on the global stage.

During the meeting, Putin thanked Kim for North Korea’s support of the Russian army in the Kursk region. North Korea had previously confirmed in April that it had deployed troops to Russia, acknowledging that some had been killed in combat. Putin praised Kim’s soldiers for fighting courageously and heroically, stating, “We will never forget the sacrifices of you and your families.”

Kim Jong Un highlighted that the strategic partnership between the two countries has been developing in all dimensions, saying, “If there is anything we can do to help Russia, we will do it. We consider it a fraternal duty.” At the end of the nearly three-hour meeting, Putin invited Kim to visit Moscow.

According to South Korean intelligence, approximately 2,000 North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia have died in combat. Pyongyang plans to send another 6,000 soldiers and engineers, with about 1,000 already in Russia.

The military parade in Beijing, along with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held over the weekend in Tianjin, has been widely interpreted by observers as a show of defiance against U.S. foreign policy.