Putin Talks to North Korean Military Men After Victory Day Parade

Following the Victory Day parade held on Moscow's Red Square to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in the Great Patriotic War, Russian President Vladimir Putin briefly met with members of the North Korean military who attended the event as spectators. During the encounter, Putin thanked them for their assistance to Russian forces, according to a broadcast of the parade.

Despite their presence in the stands, the North Korean troops did not participate in the military procession itself.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was notably absent from the event. Instead, on the same day, he visited the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang, according to North Korea's state news agency KCNA.

The Victory Day celebrations featured official delegations from several allied nations, with foreign military contingents from countries including Egypt, Mongolia, and members of the Commonwealth of Independent States marching in the parade. North Korea's attendance, even in a non-participatory role, marks a symbolic gesture of growing military and political alignment with Moscow.

Details

Red Square (Russian: Красная площадь, romanized: Krasnaya ploshchad', IPA: [ˈkrasnəjə ˈploɕːɪtʲ]) is one of the oldest and largest squares in Moscow, Russia. It is located in Moscow's historic centre, along the eastern walls of the Kremlin. It is the city's most prominent landmark, with famous buildings such as Saint Basil's Cathedral, Lenin's Mausoleum and the GUM department store. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990. Red Square has been the scene of executions, demonstrations, riots, parades, and speeches. Almost 73,000 square metres (800,000 square feet), it lies directly east of the Kremlin and north of the Moskva River. A moat that separated the square from the Kremlin was paved over in 1812.