Vladimir Putin has arrived in Vietnam for a state visit to strengthen ties with his long-time partner. He was greeted by dignitaries upon his arrival and has been working to solidify the relationship between Russia and Vietnam. This visit comes after Putin’s stop in North Korea, where he signed an agreement with leader Kim Jong Un that pledges mutual aid in the event of war. This pact could potentially represent the strongest connection between Russia and North Korea since the end of the Cold War.
In Hanoi, Mr Putin is set to meet with Vietnam’s most powerful politician, Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, as well as the new President To Lam and other officials. This visit marks Putin’s second trip to Vietnam, with the two countries having diplomatic relations dating back to 1950 and a treaty signed 30 years ago establishing “friendly relations”. The influence of the Soviet Union is still visible in Vietnamese cities like Hanoi, where many of the Communist Party’s top leaders studied in Soviet universities.
While Vietnam has maintained a neutral stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, some have criticized Putin’s visit to their country. The US embassy in Vietnam has stated that “no country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalize his atrocities”. In 2023, Vietnam also hosted visits from both Joe Biden and the leader of rival China, Xi Jinping, demonstrating the country’s strategic importance on the global stage.
