After Visiting North Korea, Vladimir Putin Lands in Vietnam

Vladimir Putin has arrived in Vietnam as part of a diplomatic visit following his recent stop in North Korea.

Vietnam, according to Bloomberg, welcomed Putin, highlighting its longstanding loyalty to Moscow despite criticism from the United States and the world.

“This visit demonstrates Vietnam’s active pursuit of an independent, self-sufficient, diversified, and multilateral foreign policy,” the Vietnamese government stated on its official website.

Puting is expected to meet officials including Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong, Chinh and President To Lam, according to Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to Russian state-run news agency TASS, citing the Kremlin.

Vietnam has historically relied on Russia for military equipment, including aircraft and submarines. However, after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Vietnam has refrained from further purchases of Russian weaponry due to concerns over Western sanctions.

Vietnam’s stance on Russia contrasts with its neutrality on Russia’s war in Ukraine last year among the nine Southeast Asian nations that refrained from condemnation. Vietnam has called for diplomacy to resolve the war.

The US Embassy in Hanoi stated on Monday that “no country should provide Putin with a platform to promote his war of aggression or allow him to normalize his atrocities.”

Last year, Vietnam’s Prime Minister met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima.