Will Xi, Kim and Putin meet in Red Square for Russia’s Victory Day?

A joint appearance by the leaders of China, Russia and North Korea would be a first for the three countries, which have a complex web of relationships

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Published: 6:00am, 13 Apr 2025Updated: 12:11pm, 16 Apr 2025

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to visit Russia in the coming months, according to the Kremlin, prompting speculation that he might join his Chinese and Russian counterparts in Moscow’s Red Square for Victory Day on May 9.

If Kim did take to the podium with presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, it would be the first time for the three leaders to appear together in public, and would be a strong signal of solidarity and defiance of US pressure, pundits said.

While signalling North Korea’s deepening alignment with Russia, such a trip would also pose a test for China, they said, further complicating Beijing’s dilemma over a nuclear-armed Pyongyang and its accelerating pivot towards Moscow.

The Kremlin has said that Xi will visit Moscow early next month for the May 9 events, including a military parade, marking the 80th anniversary of the former Soviet Union’s victory in World War II.

According to Moscow’s official Tass news agency, Russian deputy foreign minister Andrey Rudenko said late last month that preparations for Kim’s expected visit to Russia were already under way and he discussed the issue during his trip to North Korea earlier in March.

Putin invited Kim to visit Moscow during a rare trip to Pyongyang in June last year. Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu also met Kim in Pyongyang on March 21 and delivered a message to the North Korean leader from Putin.

Three days later, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Kim had received a “valid” invitation to visit Russia and that coordination was ongoing through diplomatic channels. But he fell short of confirming whether Shoigu, Putin’s top security aide, extended another invitation to Kim, adding: “We are not ready to make any official announcements yet.”