Putin’s visit shows Russia still matters a lot to Vietnam

Vietnamese leader Nguyen Phu Trong with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Communist Party Central Committee headquarters, in Hanoi, on June 20. - AFP

BANGKOK: Shunned in many parts of the world and ignoring an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Hanoi on Thursday (June 20) at the invitation of Vietnamese leader Nguyen Phu Trong. This was on the back of a rare trip to Pyongyang, where he was met with a rapturous welcome.

While Putin’s welcome in communist Vietnam was similarly lavish, its greatest importance was perhaps the message it was sending to the rest of the world.