'Courageous' North Korean soldiers joined Ukraine war at Kim's initiative, Putin says in Beijing meeting

Putin made the comments during bilateral talks with Kim at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse after attending China's "Victory Day" military parade in Beijing.

The statement marks the first time the Russian president noted the involvement of North Korean troops in the Ukraine war at Kim's initiative.

Kim said he intended to focus on the “prospects for developing relations” with Moscow, adding: “I am very pleased that today we have the opportunity to talk about our relations, about interaction, about prospects, about the development of these relations, and that I have the opportunity to meet with you alone,” cited by the Russian state-run RIA Novosti news agency.

Putin said ties between Russia and North Korea had taken on a “special trusting and friendly character, an allied character.”

He noted that North Korean special forces had participated in the battle for Russia’s Kursk region against Ukrainian troops.

“On your initiative, as is well known, your special forces took part in the liberation of the Kursk region, in full accordance with our new agreement,” Putin said, lauding North Korean soldiers as having fought “courageously and heroically.”

The Russian president asked Kim to convey his "warmest words of gratitude to all the people" of North Korea.

As he escorted the North Korean leader to his car following their meeting, Putin extended an invitation to Kim for a future visit to Russia, telling him: “We are waiting for you. Come.”

This is their fourth bilateral meeting that lasted 2.5 hours.

Earlier, Putin and Kim met for their first summit in 2019, when the North Korean leader traveled to Russia’s Far Eastern city of Vladivostok.

Later in September 2023, Kim traveled to Russia’s Far East again for a second summit with Putin, who paid his second trip to Pyongyang last year in June, when they signed a comprehensive strategic partnership, requiring each other for military support in case of an attack from a third party.

Later, Pyongyang deployed thousands of troops to Russia in the Ukraine war.

According to South Korea, Pyongyang lost some 2,000 troops in the fight against Kyiv.