Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting Vietnam today, a country that has received Russian military support for decades.
This visit follows yesterday’s signing of a bilateral defence agreement with North Korea, raising concerns among Western governments.
In an article for a Vietnamese Communist Party newspaper, Putin expressed gratitude to Hanoi for its ‘balanced’ stance on the war in Ukraine. He also stated that Russia and Vietnam share a similar perspective on the Asia-Pacific region.
Putin arrived in Hanoi late Wednesday night, greeted with a ceremonial welcome by his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong Un, who considers Putin a ‘best friend’ of North Korea.
Agenda
The two countries, united in opposition to American ‘hegemony,’ have signed a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’ agreement. This includes mutual support ‘in the event of an attack’ and enhanced ‘military-technical cooperation,’ according to Putin.
Western governments are concerned that this agreement might result in new shipments of North Korean weapons and missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine.
On the fifth leg of his Southeast Asia tour, Putin is scheduled to meet with Vietnam’s new president, Tho La, and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), Nguyen Phu Trong, the country’s most influential leader.
Hanoi was heavily secured yesterday in preparation for Putin’s visit, with several meetings planned between officials. The two countries have a long-standing relationship, dating back to the Soviet era.
“We love Russia, we love the Russians because they have supported us for many years,” said 55-year-old Nguyen Thi Minh. Russia has been supplying arms to Hanoi for decades, notably during the Vietnam War, and has been instrumental in training Communist Party officials, including Nguyen Phu Trong.
Arms sales
Moscow continues to sell arms to Hanoi amid tensions in the South China Sea, with Vietnam concerned about China’s expansionist activities.
Defence issues are expected to dominate the agenda, analysts say. The two countries have a mutual interest in reviving arms sales, which declined in 2022, according to Carl Thayer, an emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia. However, Vietnam remains free from the threat of American sanctions, he adds.
‘A test’
Hosting Putin, who is under an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC), could strain Hanoi’s relations with Western partners, particularly the United States. Washington views Vietnam, with its population of 100 million, as a strategically important country, especially in semiconductor manufacturing.
Last year, Vietnam hosted both Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden, aiming to balance its relations with the two superpowers through a policy of ‘bamboo diplomacy,’ which combines pragmatism and realism.
However, analysts warn that maintaining this balanced approach is becoming increasingly challenging. Putin’s visit is a ‘test’ of how far Hanoi’s ‘multi-directional diplomacy’ can go and whether it remains acceptable to major powers, according to Huong Le Thu, deputy director of the Asia program at the International Crisis Group.
