Vladimir Putin arrives in Vietnam following North Korea visit | BBC News

Vladimir Putin arrives in Vietnam following North Korea visit | BBC News

Communist Party leaders in Vietnam are giving a red carpet welcome to the Russian President Vladimir Putin Vietnamese president to Lam congratulated Putin on his re-election and praised Russia’s achievements including domestic political stability the leaders are discussing cooperation on trade energy and military equipment the US has criticized the visit for giving a platform to Mr Putin while his forces continue their war in Ukraine our correspondent in Soul Shima Khalil gave us her analysis this is the second leg of his Asia trip and again I think what Vladimir Putin wants to demonstrate here that he has friends in the region that he has allies he’s not as isolated as the uh as the rest of the West touts him to be but as you say and this is a country that has strong and historical relationships uh with Russia Vietnam still remembers and is still grateful for that assistance that the Soviet Union gave them in in the decades uh during their war with the French and the United States it’s been described in Vietnam as a relationship that it with loyalty and gratitude but yes it finds itself in uh having to walk a very tight rope on one hand um it’s got this very deep relationship with Russia it is welcoming the uh um the the President Vladimir Putin a the Armed Forces still use Russian made uh weapons Russian companies are still the chosen partner uh when it comes to oil um oil excavation oil exploration in the disputed South China Sea however when it comes to trade China the United States the rest of Europe precede Russia at the moment and it has to appease them it has to be seen as striking that balance but also remember that even though it has never condemned the war in Ukraine and has abstained from many resolutions in the UN condemning the the war in Ukraine it has managed to again maintain good ties with ke actually managed to send some Aid because again historically many thousands of vietnames have lived and studied in Ukraine so this is typical Vietnamese bamboo diplomacy if you will which is Friends uh with everyone but given how tense and how difficult the global terrain is especially with the war in Ukraine um raging being an ally with Russia being a friend a historical friend with Russia pushes it to be more careful they’re going to be very very hospitable they’re going as you say to roll out the red carpet will be a very very warm reception but I think it’s also going to maintain a dotted contact line to reassure Russ uh to reassure the United States and China that it’s keeping that balance right there has been a rebuke hasn’t there though from Washington for the for the fact of inviting the president in the first place that’s right and and I think it’s it is expected because Washington is quite worried and angry that Vladimir Putin has been given that kind of attention I mean remember his his visit to North Korea has been covered CED all all over the world is has it has garnered a lot of attention it has raised a lot of question but also uh raised a lot of worry and I think the United States is again concerned about the fact that Vladimir Putin is not only given a warm reception the way they seeed is that he’s almost given a platform to promote his war on Ukraine it is going to be a different visit because it’s a different relationship I think you when you saw when what you saw in North Korea is that those are two leaders that need each other at a time when they’re both very very isolated I think with this one it’s cementing an already very strong historical relationship

The leaders of Vietnam and Russia, President To Lam and President Vladimir Putin, have said they want to boost ties as the pair met in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi.

To Lam was full of praise for his Russian counterpart, congratulating him on his recent re-election.

Mr Putin, in return, said strengthening a strategic partnership with the south-east Asian country was one of Russia’s priorities.

His trip to Vietnam, which comes on the heels of his lavish visit to North Korea, is being interpreted as a demonstration of the diplomatic support Russia still enjoys in the region.

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