Putin Strikes New Deal on Asia Tour

Vladimir Putin has arrived in Vietnam to discuss a series of agreements and the future of the Russian-Vietnamese relationship.

The Russian President touched down in Hanoi on Thursday afternoon, before his cavalcade made its way to the presidential palace to sit down with the Vietnamese premier. The meeting itself, and the pair's statements on renewed cooperation, suggests that Russia is attempting to gather kindling for an anti-U.S. bloc in the far east, and will undoubtedly draw the ire of the West.

As reported by Russian state-owned news agency Tass on Telegram, Putin began by thanking Vietnam for its warm welcome.

"I mean not only the temperature outside, but also the cordiality with which the residents of Hanoi greet our delegation on the streets," the president said.

What was Discussed?

During the ensuing conversation with Vietnamese President To Lam, who assumed the presidency in May, the pair discussed bilateral relations, and signed "a number of documents on cooperation in various fields," Tass reported.

Among these were documents promising collaboration in education, and a memorandum outlining a schedule for the creation of a "nuclear technology center in Vietnam."

Lam said that Hanoi attaches a great deal of importance to the development of a strategic alliance with Moscow, adding that this is one of the country's top foreign policy priorities. The Vietnamese president also said that he views Russia's position in the international as strengthening, and promised increased cooperation with Moscow in the fields of defense and security.

After noting the progressive development of economic ties between the two, and the similarity in their views on international issues, Putin returned Lam's gesture.

"Strengthening a comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam is invariably one of our priorities," the Russian President said.

Putin subsequently met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and called the republic one of Russia's most reliable partners.

Russia's Relationship with Vietnam

China and the Soviet Union were the first to recognize and establish formal bilateral relations with the country, opening an embassy in what was then North Vietnam in 1950.

Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, comity has been maintained, and the pair have since cooperated frequently on matters relating to trade and defense.

During his speech in Hanoi on Thursday, Putin also made reference to the assistance provided by the Soviet Union to Vietnam in its resistance against French and American forces in the mid-twentieth century.

"It is important that in Vietnam they remember this and cherish the memory," the Russian leader said.

What this means?

Putin's visit comes as the geopolitical isolation of Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine has reached a new apex, and signals an attempt to drum up support in the Far East for the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The West's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine was a central theme at last week's G7 summit, at which member nations agreed to appropriate frozen Russian assets to supply additional financial aid to Ukraine.

Putin's voyage to Hanoi also directly follows his meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un earlier in the week.

During the two days of discussion, Putin thanked North Korea for its continued support of Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine, which Kim promised would continue.

The meeting ended with the two countries signing a strategic partnership agreement, which included a mutual defense clause, promising to come to the other's aid if either is attacked.

This news naturally sparked concern from the West, with U.K. Secretary of State for Defense Grant Shapps taking to X to denounce the meeting.

"The bizarre scenes from Putin's North Korea visit should be taken as a warning. A new axis of tyranny is working to undermine our freedoms," Shapps posted.

However, unlike North Korea, which has a firm place in the rogues gallery of anti-U.S. nations, Vietnam could reasonably be regarded as an ally of Washington, though Putin's visit risks putting this in jeopardy.

While still a socialist republic, hostility between Vietnam and the U.S. has thawed since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 and the normalization of relations between the two in 1995.

In September, Joe Biden met with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong to promote further economic and political cooperation.

The two countries "elevated" their relationship with the signing of a comprehensive strategic partnership "for the purposes of peace, cooperation, and sustainable development," according to a statement from the White House at the time.

Vietnam welcoming the Russian president has already been met with indignation from Washington.

A representative of the U.S. embassy in Hanoi told Reuters: "No country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalize his atrocities."

Newsweek has contacted the U.S. Department of State for their reaction to Putin's visit.

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