Following his North Korea trip, Putin's charm offensive in Vietnam primarily aims to reinforce relations in Asia to offset Russia's growing international isolation. However, by offering Putin a stage, Hanoi risks upsetting key trading partners in the West, Japan, and South Korea. Given that Vietnam and the US recently upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, Vietnam should think twice about alienating the West out of false loyalty to Moscow.
Putin's visit highlights the mutual respect and long-standing Russia-Vietnam friendship and yet again exposes the absurdity of Western claims of Russia's "international isolation." The West is trapped in a worldview based on double standards and hypocrisy, while countries like Vietnam are increasingly seeking to preserve their strategic autonomy without jeopardizing US ties. International relations are no zero-sum game, and only if Washington recognizes this will it regain some credibility.