Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, Arrives in Vietnam for Talks with Communist Leaders

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, arrived in Vietnam early Thursday morning for talks with the country’s communist leaders, following the conclusion of a defense pact with North Korea. Tran Hong Ha, Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister, welcomed Putin at Hanoi’s international airport.

In an article prepared for his visit and published in the newspaper of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Putin praised the country for supporting a “pragmatic approach” to resolving the Ukraine crisis. The government of Vietnam, which pursues a neutral foreign policy, has refrained from condemning Russia’s attack on Ukraine, a stance that Western countries consider very close to the Kremlin.

This Southeast Asian country is the third country Putin has visited since the beginning of his fifth term as president in May, following China and North Korea. In addition to holding talks with senior Vietnamese officials, Putin will also visit the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, the founder of modern Vietnam, which houses his mummified body. This is Putin’s first visit to Vietnam since 2017 and his fifth visit to the country overall.