US ISSUES REBUKE
Vietnam is rolling out the red carpet for Putin amid rebuke from the US government, despite having just upgraded relations with Washington last year.
In a statement sent to CNA, a spokesperson for the US Embassy in Hanoi said that no country “should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalise his atrocities”.
“If he is able to travel freely, it could normalise Russia’s blatant violations of international law and inadvertently send the message that atrocities can be committed in Ukraine and elsewhere with impunity, worsening human suffering, and prolonging the path to sustainable peace and justice,” the spokesperson added.
“We cannot return to business as usual or turn a blind eye to the clear violations of international law Russia has committed in Ukraine. There needs to be accountability for those responsible for war crimes.”
HISTORICALLY DEEP RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA
Vietnam has continued its historically deep relations with the former Soviet Union, even as it aligns itself with the US in opposition to China.
Assistance from Russia played a critical role in Vietnam’s history of war and nation-building when peace resumed.
The US had entered Vietnam in the late 1950s to prevent a communist takeover of the region. As Vietnamese civilians became increasingly caught in the crossfire and American tactics grew more brutal, the war became deeply unpopular in the US.
Exhibits at the Vietnam Military History Museum, located in the heart of Hanoi, make it apparent Vietnam sees Russia as an ally.
Wreckage of American airplanes from the Vietnam War is placed next to Soviet-made missile systems and aircraft that Vietnam used during the war.
Nguyen Dat Phat, vice-chairman of the Vietnam-Russia Friendship Association, told CNA: “The support from the Soviet Union was great and important because then, we wanted to liberate the South and unite the country by force, by resistance war.
“We needed weapons, ammunition, gas, and so on.”
Now, Vietnam wants to show its support for Russia as well.
It avoided the Ukraine peace summit last weekend and has abstained from voting on United Nations resolutions on the Russia-Ukraine war.
“The draft resolutions are sponsored by the West to condemn Russia. I think abstention means not joining efforts to oppose Russia. That’s support for Russia,” said Nguyen.
