Sitting Russian leader Vladimir Putin paid a short visit to Vietnam lately, which caused a major firestorm within the international community. There is no surprise that Putin is using his own charms and personal relationship to gain more support around the world, in order to win the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, both Russia and Vietnam are rather careful and meticulous, when it comes to supplies and energy resources. How should we understand the political ties between the two nations? By selecting Vietnam, is Putin able to gain more support from nations in Southeast Asia?

Dr. Hai Hong Nguyen is currently a senior lecturer of politics, social change, and international relations in the College of Arts and Sciences at VinUniversity in Vietnam. He is a political scientist and an experienced lecturer/researcher in politics and international relations. Prior to joining VinUniversity, Dr. Nguyen held different positions in Vietnam and Australia as senior lecturer, international development manager/specialist, honorary research fellow, and adjunct/visiting senior lecturer at Hanoi University, Thai Nguyen University, James Cook University, the University of Queensland, and Queensland University of Technology. He has published widely on Vietnamese politics and foreign relations, international relations in Southeast Asia, Asia, and the Indo-Pacific.