Vietnam Prepares to Welcome Putin, Rekindling Old Ties Despite Risking Western Ire

Vietnam is set to roll out the red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is accused of war crimes in Ukraine, in a visit that is seen as a publicity coup for the Russian leader. Despite international isolation, Vietnam has carefully built alliances with the United States and the European Union, making the Hanoi stop of Putin's tour especially important for the Russian leader.

Putin is expected to arrive in Hanoi late Wednesday night, fresh from a visit to Pyongyang, where he embraced North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. This visit comes at a time when Russia faces international isolation, and Vietnam's hosting of the Russian leader has already been condemned by the United States.

Why it Matters : The visit is significant because it sends a message that Russia has friends everywhere in the world, and that the West's effort to isolate Russia is futile. For Vietnam, the visit is crucial as Russia plays a unique and critical role in Vietnam's foreign policy, with Moscow being a major arms supplier to Hanoi.

Vietnam has historical close ties with Russia, and the two countries share Communist roots. Tens of thousands of Vietnamese cadres studied in the former Soviet Union during the Cold War, including the current head of Vietnam's Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong. Putin has made significant contributions to Vietnam-Russia relations and has always had good feelings and concern for Vietnam, valuing relationships with Vietnam's senior leaders.

The United States, which upgraded diplomatic relations with Hanoi last year and is Vietnam's top trading partner, has opposed Putin's visit. "No country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalize his atrocities," a spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Hanoi said this week.

Despite this, Vietnam has its reasons to risk the ire of other diplomatic partners with the visit. Hanoi wants Putin to come for several reasons, including to demonstrate that Vietnam pursues a balanced foreign policy that does not favor any of the major powers. Vietnam pursues what it calls "bamboo diplomacy", maintaining good relations with world powers, despite those powers' animosity toward one another.

Noting that U.S. President Joe Biden visited Vietnam followed by Chinese President Xi Jinping a few months later, "Putin's visit will complete leadership visits by the 'Big Three'," said Ian Storey, senior fellow at the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

Russia has historically been Vietnam's major military supplier, so announcements of any arms deals will be closely watched. Putin is also expected to announce agreements in sectors including trade, investment, technology, and education, although that was subject to change. Early on Wednesday, Vietnam announced it wants Russian state oil firm Zarubezhneft to invest in green energy in the country.

Key Takeaways : 

• Vietnam is set to host Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite international isolation and war crimes allegations.
• The visit is seen as a publicity coup for Putin and a demonstration of Vietnam's balanced foreign policy.
• Russia has historically been Vietnam's major military supplier, and announcements of any arms deals will be closely watched.
• The visit comes at a time when Vietnam is pursuing "bamboo diplomacy", maintaining good relations with world powers despite their animosity toward one another.
• The visit has been opposed by the United States, which is Vietnam's top trading partner and has upgraded diplomatic relations with Hanoi last year.

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