LONDON — North Korean chief Kim Jong Un crossed the China-North Korea border by practice on Tuesday, the nation’s state information company reported, heading to Beijing the place he’ll attend a navy parade marking the eightieth anniversary of Japan’s give up in World Struggle II.
Kim will be part of Chinese language President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin within the Chinese language capital on Wednesday, the opposite two leaders having come from a Shanghai Cooperation Group assembly in Tianjin, the place Xi hosted world leaders together with Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Kim is accompanied by a delegation together with International Minister Choe Son Hui, the Korean Central Information Company reported.
Kim, Xi and Putin will collect for the navy parade amid Ukrainian and Western considerations over the collaboration of the three nations in bolstering Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, ongoing since February 2022.
Chinese language Changhe Z-8L and Harbin Z-20 helicopters fly in formation throughout a navy parade rehearsal in Beijing, China, on Aug. 24, 2025.
Maxim Shemetov/Reuters
Ukrainian and Western governments have accused North Korea of supplying important quantities of ammunition and troops to assist Russia’s struggle, whereas Kyiv and its NATO backers have recognized China as Moscow’s prime supply of materiel and a significant financial lifeline.
Talking on the SCO assembly on Monday, Putin mentioned the struggle in Ukraine started with a Western-sponsored “coup” and “makes an attempt by the West” to “”pull Ukraine into NATO.” The handle echoed long-established false Russian narratives concerning the pro-Western 2014 Maidan Revolution and the next Russian invasion of Crimea and japanese Ukraine. Moscow constructed on that spherical of aggression by launching its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Putin mentioned he spoke with Xi on Sunday concerning the ongoing U.S.-sponsored peace course of in Ukraine, which has to this point failed to provide a ceasefire or a gathering between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders.
Putin and Xi met once more on Tuesday morning, in keeping with a readout from the state-run Xinhua information company. The 2 leaders signed “greater than 20 bilateral cooperation paperwork,” Xinhua reported.
Bilateral relations, Putin mentioned, “have mirrored a excessive diploma of technique and reached the very best stage in historical past,” Xinhua reported. Xi, in the meantime, mentioned ties between Beijing and Moscow “have withstood the check of worldwide modifications,” in keeping with Xinhua.
The Russian president additionally met with Modi on Monday. India — together with China — is a high buyer for Russian vitality exports, an revenue stream that Ukraine and its allies say has helped Moscow soften the affect of worldwide sanctions and fund its struggle.
In a publish to X, Modi mentioned he had an “glorious assembly” with Putin.
“Mentioned methods to deepen bilateral cooperation in all sectors, together with commerce, fertilizers, house, safety and tradition,” he added. “We exchanged views on regional and international developments, together with the peaceable decision of the battle in Ukraine.”
The assembly comes shortly after U.S President Donald Trump imposed an extra 25% tariff on all Indian items — bringing the whole tariff fee to 50% — associated to India’s continued purchases of Russian vitality exports and navy tools.
North Korean chief Kim Jong Un travels by practice as he leaves Pyongyang to attend China’s celebration of the formal give up of Japan in World Struggle II, on this image launched by the Korean Central Information Company on Sept. 2, 2025.
Kcna/by way of Reuters
ABC Information’ Kate Lee, Tanya Stukalova, Anna Sergeeva, Karson Yiu, Will Gretsky and Ellie Kaufman contributed to this report.
