The Kremlin officially announced the visits of the illegitimate president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, to North Korea on June 18-19 and to Vietnam on June 19-20.
Points of attention
- Vladimir Putin plans to visit North Korea and Vietnam in June to conclude agreements and discuss common issues.
- Russia's interaction with Asian countries causes a reaction from the US, which expresses concern about the possible normalization of violations of international law.
- During his visit to the DPRK and Vietnam, Putin will discuss the development of partnerships and prospects for cooperation with Asian countries.
- The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin over the war in Ukraine, but North Korea and Vietnam do not recognize its jurisdiction.
What is known about Putin's visits to North Korea and Vietnam
It is reported that Putin will come to North Korea on a "friendly state visit" at the invitation of Kim Jong Un.
During Putin's visit to Vietnam, it is planned to discuss the development of partnership between Moscow and Hanoi, issues of the international and regional agenda, the Kremlin press service reported.
Also, based on the results of Putin's talks in Vietnam, it is planned to adopt a joint statement and sign several bilateral documents.
Reuters reports that Putin's visit to Vietnam comes after Hanoi shied away from a peace summit on Ukraine in Switzerland and sent its deputy foreign minister to a BRICS meeting in Russia earlier last week.
According to Reuters, the United States improved relations with Hanoi and leading trading partners last year, which reacted harshly to Putin's trip.
"No country should provide Putin with a platform to promote his aggressive war or otherwise allow him to normalise his atrocities," said a representative of the US Embassy in Hanoi in an interview with Reuters when asked about the impact of this visit on relations with the United States.
If he can travel freely, it could normalize Russia's flagrant violations of international law, the embassy official added, referring to the invasion of Ukraine that Putin launched in February 2022.
Putin's previous visits abroad
During his entire time in office, Putin visited North Korea once—in 2000, when Kim Jong Il was the leader of this country. The current leader of the totalitarian state, Kim Jong Un, last visited Russia in September 2023.
In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin because of the war crimes in Ukraine. However, North Korea and Vietnam do not recognise the jurisdiction of the ICC.
In May 2024, Putin went with official visit to China.
