An old friendship that refuses to die

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on the second stop of an East Asian tour. The trip, which comes on the heels of his lavish visit to North Korea, is being interpreted as a demonstration of the diplomatic support Russia still enjoys in this region. The United States has criticised the visit for giving a platform for President Putin to promote his war of aggression in Ukraine. Vietnam still values the historic ties it has with Russia even as it works to improve its relationship with Europe and the US.Looming over a small park in Ba Dinh, Hanoi’s…