Putin also said he didn’t rule out that Russia would supply North Korea with high-precision weapons.
Putin said Moscow would reply to any such move by South Korea.
However, he said Seoul had nothing to fret in regards to the pact between Moscow and North Korea.
“South Korea, the Republic of Korea has nothing to worry about because our military assistance under the treaty we signed will only arise if aggression is carried out against one of the signatories. As far as I know, the Republic of Korea is not planning aggression against the DPRK [North Korea]Putin told reporters.
“We see what is happening in Asia: a block system is being created,” Putin said.
“Nato is already ‘moving’ there.” [to Asia] as a everlasting place of residence. This, after all, poses a threat to all countries within the region, including the Russian Federation. We are obliged to answer this and we are going to do it,” Putin said.
Hours after Putin signed the mutual defense pact, Washington announced that its top diplomat for East Asia, Daniel Kritenbrink, would visit Vietnam on Friday and Saturday to underline Washington’s commitment to working with Hanoi to make sure a “free and open” Indo- Pacific.
Putin’s binational trip to Asia was seen as an indication of defiance towards the West, and Vietnam’s hosting of him was met with sharp criticism from Washington, which said the Russian leader mustn’t be given a stage on which to defend the war in Ukraine.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby was asked at an everyday briefing whether Washington believed Putin would look to Vietnam for support for the war in Ukraine, and said Washington expected Hanoi to proceed to follow U.N. rules regarding respect for territorial integrity.
Kirby highlighted the past yr’s improvement in U.S.-Vietnam relations and added: “We will remain focused on continuing to deepen, broaden and improve them for the advantage of one another and the region.”
The United States is currently Vietnam’s primary export market, and the U.S. Department of State said in announcing Kritenbrink’s visit that he would “reaffirm United States support for a robust, independent, resilient and prosperous Vietnam” and “underscore the strong U.S. commitment to implementing the U.S. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership -Vietnam”.
Russia and Vietnam signed agreements on issues including: energy, emphasizing Moscow’s turn towards Asia after the West imposed sanctions on Russia in reference to the conflict in Ukraine.
Despite U.S. concerns about Putin’s hospitality in Vietnam, some analysts imagine Hanoi could have counted on it not suffering material consequences, on condition that Washington relies on good relations with Vietnam to counter the rivalry with China within the Indo-Pacific region.
Hanoi, nevertheless, is awaiting a serious U.S. decision, expected by July 26, on elevating Vietnam to market economy status, Alexander Vuving, an authority on Vietnam and Asia on the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii, said the host Putin could have an influence on this.
“I believe Putin’s visit makes Vietnam less trusting within the eyes of the US and will negatively influence the US decision,” he said.
The modernization sought by Hanoi is opposed by U.S. steel producers, Gulf Coast shrimp fishers and honey farmers, but supported by retailers and another business groups. This would scale back punitive anti-dumping duties on Vietnamese imports, given its current status as a non-market economy characterised by strong state influence.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen didn’t answer a matter about whether Vietnam’s strengthening relations with Moscow would influence the upcoming decision of the US Commerce Department.
She said Washington sees Vietnam as a partner in its efforts to diversify supply chains and reduce dependence on China. She added that the strengthened U.S. partnership with Vietnam doesn’t require Vietnam to chop ties with Russia or China and that Hanoi has a transparent policy of cooperation with many countries.
At odds with NATO over the war in Ukraine, Putin sees the military alliance as an adversary and accuses it of defrauding Russia by granting membership to eastern European countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
