“Your soldiers fought courageously and heroically,” Putin told Kim. “We will never forget the sacrifices made by your armed forces and the families of your servicemen.”
The Kim-Putin meeting was held on the sidelines of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s massive Victory Day parade in Beijing on Wednesday, which is being seen as a show of unity aimed at Western nations that have isolated Beijing, Moscow and Pyongyang.
Xi hosted 26 world leaders for the parade and was pictured walking shoulder to shoulder with Kim and Putin to a viewing platform on Wednesday. It was the first time the three autocrats have appeared together in public, as well as the first time Kim has attended an international summit of world leaders, according to the BBC.
The event in Beijing commemorated 80 years since Japan’s surrender in World War II and China’s victory over occupying forces.
As the parade kicked off, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Xi of conspiring with Russia and North Korea against the United States, in a cryptic post on social media.
“Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.