Putin Arrives in Vietnam for State Visit
Putin Arrives in Vietnam for State Visit
The Facts
On the final leg of his two-country Asia tour, Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Vietnam on Thursday to strengthen long-standing ties with the Southeast Asian country after concluding a defense pact with North Korea.
After Vietnam's President To Lam complimented Putin on his re-election praising Russia's "domestic political stability" and other achievements Putin noted that reinforcing a comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam is a Russian priority.Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Vietnam on Thursday on the last leg of his two-nation Asian trip to reinforce long-standing ties with the Southeast Asian country after signing a defense pact with North Korea.
The Spin
Following his North Korea trip, Putin's charm offensive in Vietnam is primarily aimed at reinforcing relations in Asia to offset Russia's growing international isolation. However, by offering Putin a stage Hanoi risks upsetting key trading partners in the West, Japan, and South Korea. Given that Vietnam and the US recently upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, Vietnam should think twice about alienating the West out of false loyalty to Moscow.
Putin's visit highlights the mutual respect and long-standing Russia-Vietnam friendship and yet again exposes the absurdity of Western claims of Russia's "international isolation." The West is trapped in a worldview based on double standards and hypocrisy, while countries like Vietnam are increasingly seeking to preserve their strategic autonomy without jeopardizing US ties. International relations are no zero-sum game, and only if Washington recognizes this will it regain some credibility.
