June 24, 2024 – Russia, facing sanctions from Western countries including the United States for its invasion of Ukraine, has garnered attention for President Putin’s visit to North Korea and Vietnam. During his visits to the two countries, many aspects dubbed as “temperature differences” have emerged, shedding light on the current realities of the world from a different perspective and its underlying logic.
After signing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty with North Korea, Putin made three highly anticipated statements. Following the treaty signing, Putin stated that the agreement stipulates that if any of the signatories are attacked, the other will provide assistance.
Concluding his visit to Vietnam, Putin emphasized during a press conference before returning home that Russia does not rule out supplying weapons to North Korea, stating, “We have the right to supply weapons to regions around the world, including North Korea. We have no intention of excluding this possibility.”
This statement was interpreted as a threat to prevent the U.S. and its allies from supplying weapons to Ukraine in support of the country. However, Putin also remarked, “I would like to point out that this treaty is nothing new.”
Kim Jong Un described the signing as reaching a new height in the alliance relationship between the two countries, vowing to expand cooperation in political, economic, cultural, and military fields, aiming for a more hopeful development trajectory. Kim Jong Un referred to the agreement as the “strongest treaty in history.”
In 1961, North Korea and the former Soviet Union signed the Soviet-North Korean Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance Treaty, which stipulated that in the event of one of the signatories being attacked by any country or coalition of countries, the other party would provide immediate military and other forms of assistance. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the treaty was replaced by a less comprehensive security agreement.
Putin’s statement that “this is nothing new” likely refers to the comparison with the old treaty from the Soviet era and implies that there is nothing substantially new. This statement contrasts with his previous more assertive statements and Kim Jong Un’s description of the treaty as the “strongest in history,” indicating an evident “temperature difference.” Putin did not emphasize the “alliance relationship” between the two countries as Kim Jong Un did.
Before Putin’s visit to Pyongyang, both North Korea and Russia officially announced Putin’s visit schedule: a two-day one-night stay on the 18th and 19th. Putin’s plane was initially scheduled to arrive at Pyongyang Sunan Airport on the evening of the 18th but did not touch down until 2:20 a.m. on the 19th, significantly surpassing the planned time.
According to South Korean media reports, at 2 a.m., Kim Jong Un, waiting alone at the airport for Putin, appeared anxious. Images from television and photos showed Kim Jong Un looking groggy and visibly tired.
Putin’s delayed arrival seems to convey a message to the other party and the international community that North Korea’s request for Russia’s assistance outweighs Russia’s request from the other side.
Looking at the content of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty signed between Russia and North Korea and related discussions, the cooperation between the two countries in areas such as the economy, technology, and military primarily involves Russia aiding North Korea. Besides providing weapons and equipment Russia urgently needs like ammunition, there is not much substantive assistance that North Korea can offer Russia. The role played by the signing of the alliance treaty between the two countries is more about Putin using it as a platform against international condemnation and sanctions, aligning with him internationally to restrain and counter the U.S. and its allies.
Putin has gained the moniker “the late king” due to his frequent tardiness in meeting foreign leaders and attending crucial international conferences. His delays are seen internationally as indicating his level of respect for the other party, the importance he places on the meeting, and his self-importance.
For instance, in 2014, he was more than 4 hours late meeting with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel; in 2016, he was three hours late in a meeting with former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe; at the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, he was 1 hour and 20 minutes late; and in a meeting with Pope Francis in 2015, he was 50 minutes late.
While Putin aims to continue receiving assistance from Kim Jong Un in terms of weapons and equipment, Kim Jong Un is eager to receive diverse support from Putin, particularly in urgently needed cutting-edge technologies related to nuclear weapons, missiles, and aviation. North Korea has invited Putin to visit the country several times.
Putin’s plane arrived at 2:22 a.m., and Kim Jong Un was already waiting on the dark airport runway, eagerly anticipating Putin’s arrival on the red carpet. When Putin emerged from the plane, Kim Jong Un greeted him warmly with a hug, seemingly unconcerned about the delay.
Pyongyang also offered a grand welcome to Putin. On the morning of the 19th, Kim Jong Un held a lavish welcoming ceremony for Putin at Kim Il Sung Square; Russian flags and portraits of Putin lined the streets, with tens of thousands of people welcoming them with song and dance performances. Massive portraits of Putin and Kim Jong Un were displayed side by side at the venue, a sight rarely seen.
This highly elaborate and welcoming reception in Pyongyang far exceeded the one given to Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping.
The unprecedented high-profile reception by Kim Jong Un and the contrasting attitude of Putin also revealed a significant “temperature difference.”
Concluding the visit to North Korea, Putin turned his attention to Vietnam on the 20th to deepen the Russia-Vietnam relationship. Putin’s visit to Hanoi also sparked some “temperature differences,” attracting public attention.
Amid escalating sanctions by the U.S. and allies against Russia and the signing of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty with North Korea, Vietnam welcoming Putin’s visit undoubtedly carries the risk of angering the United States.
While Vietnam is a socialist country, in recent years, it has maintained relatively good relations with the United States, the European Union, Japan, and ASEAN, balancing between what the U.S. identifies as the evil Axis of Evil countries (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea) and Western nations.
Vietnam’s pragmatic “bamboo diplomacy,” characterized by the flexibility of its branches but a solid core, showcases that Hanoi is neither an ally of the U.S. nor a satellite state of China, maintaining a certain distance from Russia amidst the present circumstances.
In contrast to the grand welcome in Pyongyang, Vietnam received Putin with lower specifications, being greeted by ministerial-level officials upon arrival. The welcoming ceremony was relatively low-key, forming a stark contrast with the reception in Pyongyang.
During this visit, Putin and Vietnam signed more than ten bilateral agreements covering areas such as education, healthcare, fuel, and the establishment of a nuclear technology center in Vietnam. Additionally, Vietnamese President Nguyen mentioned that some deals needed to remain confidential.
Vietnam was once a communist ally of the Soviet Union, with Moscow providing weapons to Hanoi for decades.
According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, until 2022, Russia has been Vietnam’s largest arms supplier. Over the past 20 years, Russian arms purchases have accounted for 60% of Vietnam’s total military acquisitions. However, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Vietnam scaled back its imports of weapons from Russia to avoid potential sanctions from the U.S. and other Western countries.
During his meeting with Secretary-General of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong, Putin praised Vietnam’s cautious stance on sharp international issues, noting that Russia and Vietnam share many similar positions on current global matters.
Russian media reported that during his visit to Vietnam, Putin thanked Vietnamese leaders for their warm and cordial reception. However, from the actual circumstances of Putin’s trip to Hanoi, it appears that Hanoi’s “bamboo diplomacy” has at least cooled down the “warmth” from Moscow on the surface.