Russian President Vladimir Putin’s June 20 visit to Hanoi, Vietnam has triggered some alarm bells in the West, where some observers worried that Vietnam may be drifting away from the U.S. orbit and more towards Russia. The Vietnamese and Americans fought a long war half a century ago, but have since repaired their relationship and have even partnered on both military and economic issues.
Watch the above video as Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan reassures Americans that for as long as China remains a threat, Vietnam and the United States will continue to share long-term security interests.
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The following is an excerpt from Peter’s June 21 “Zeihan on Geopolitics” newsletter:
With Russian President Vladimir Putin heading to Vietnam, some American security experts are getting concerned about the future of the U.S.-Vietnam relationship. To understand why the Vietnamese are working with Russia, we need to take a quick history lesson.
Every American remembers the Vietnam War… the French have an even worse history in Vietnam… but both of those histories pale in comparison to China’s two millennia of conflict with Vietnam. All that to say, the relationship we’re seeing between Russia and Vietnam is simply a materialization of the phrase – “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
Essentially, Vietnam is using Russia as a bit of a counter-balance to China; think of it as an extra layer of security for the Vietnamese peace of mind. Don’t let that fool you though, U.S.-Vietnam interests are aligned against China and will continue to grow closer over the coming years.