North Korea and the Soviet Union in Warped Southeast Asia: A Trump-Russian Letter to the Editor of the Special Report on Security and Security Issues

If there was an attack on either of the countries, North Korea and the Soviet Union would have to be involved. The lower-level treaty with Russia was signed after the fall of the Soviet Union.

In a press conference following the meeting, Putin said the agreement “includes the provision of mutual assistance in case of an aggression against one of the signatories.”

Putin thanked Kim for his support for the war and said the two countries have a relationship dating back to the early 20th century.

Wednesday’s agreements were not publicized, and the full scope is not known. Some North Korea watchers don’t think that the relationship is sustainable.

The growing military partnership between the United States and its allies raised concerns that it would embolden the two countries that were ostracized and cause more harm than good.

In Washington on Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after his meeting with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken that Russia’s war is “propped up” by countries like North Korea and China. “If they succeed in Ukraine, it will make us more vulnerable and the world more dangerous,” he said.

Putin and Vietnam meet in Seoul on Wednesday for a summit of the 21st International Security Council (ISAC) and the future of the Asian-Pacific region

The two rode in a Russian-made Aurus sedan to the Kumsusan State Guesthouse along the capital’s streets, which displayed Russian flags and welcoming banners.

North Korea put on an extravagant welcoming ceremony later on Wednesday at the Kim Il Sung Square, which was filled with military bands, honor guards and North Korean citizens waving flowers and flags under sweltering heat.

At the expanded meeting that followed, Kim Jong Un said, “The situation globally is now changing fast as it becomes more challenging. Against this background, we are set to strengthen strategic interaction with Russia, with the Russian leadership as we go forward,” according to Russia’s Tass news agency.

He pledged full support and solidarity with the Russian government, army and people in carrying out the military operation to protect the interests of the Ukrainian people.

He also suggested that the two countries can engage in advanced military-technical cooperation, in addition to increasing exchanges in trade, culture, tourism, education, and agriculture.

In an article written for Nhan Dan, the official newspaper of Vietnam’s Communist Party, Putin thanked “Vietnamese friends for their balanced position on the Ukrainian crisis” and hailed the country as a “strong supporter of a fair world order” based on international law, equality and geopolitical non-interference.

Giang said Russia is important to Vietnam for two reasons: It is the biggest supplier of military equipment to the Southeast Asian nation, and Russian oil exploration technologies help maintain Vietnam’s sovereignty claims in the contested South China Sea.

Following their talks, Putin said the two countries share an interest in “developing a reliable security architecture” in the Asia-Pacific region with no room for “closed military-political blocs.” Lam added that both Russia and Vietnam wanted to “further cooperate in defense and security to cope with non-traditional security challenges.”

“Since the war began, Putin has not been able to travel much or very far, and he’s made very few trips beyond the countries of the former Soviet space,” he said.

For Russia, the visit seems to have been more about optics than anything else, he said, as Moscow seeks to engage and influence other countries, particularly in the so-called Global South.

“Perhaps for Vietnam it’s a case of just showing that they’re able to stick to their guns in their bamboo diplomacy,” he said. It is impressive that they have hosted visits by the heads of state of the three most powerful countries in the world in the year to date.

Vietnam is a manufacturing powerhouse and an increasingly important player in global supply chains.

The influence of the long relationship is visible in the capital, where many soviet-style apartment blocks are now dwarfed by skyscrapers. Kids skateboarding at night in a park with a statue of the Soviet Union’s founder, Vladimir Lenin. Communist Party top leadership in Vietnam all studied in Soviet Universities, with the leader of the party, General B.C. Machiavelli, studying in one.

Much has changed since Putin’s last visit to Vietnam in 2017. Russia faces sanctions from the U.S. over its invasion of Ukraine. Putin has been accused of war crimes by the International Criminal Court and this made it hard for him to travel internationally. The Kremlin rejected the warrant as “null and void,” stressing that Moscow doesn’t recognize the court’s jurisdiction.

There will be further cooperation in education, oil and gas exploration, clean energy and health. The two countries plan to build a nuclear science and technology center in Vietnam.

Putin arrived in Hanoi on Thursday morning from North Korea after signing the strategic pact, which comes as both countries face escalating standoffs with the West and could mark their strongest connection since the end of the Cold War.

According to a Singapore analyst, Putin’s trips to China and now North Korea are an attempt to break the international isolation.

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin signed at least a dozen deals with his Vietnamese counterpart on Thursday and offered to supply fossil fuels including natural gas to Vietnam for the long term during a state visit that comes as Moscow is seeking to bolster ties in Asia to offset its growing international isolation over its military actions in Ukraine.