Putin of Russia demanded in Vietnam that the “strategic partnership” be strengthened.
At a formal visit to Vietnam on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that bolstering strategic relationships is “one of his priorities” as he proceeded with a tour of Asia interpreted as a show of defiance.
While the “comprehensive strategic partnership” Putin spoke of is the same agreement Vietnam has with the United States and China, his visit has drawn criticism from Hanoi’s Western partners, who have protested that he should not be given a stage on which to defend Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
Putin was welcomed in Hanoi with a 21-gun salute during a military ceremony on Thursday, as he was praised by one of the Communist-run country’s top leaders.