While fighting is raging in Ukraine, Russia and Vietnam are planning a military exercise, according to information from Russia’s state-controlled media on April 18. Analysts say this is an inappropriate step and could cause “eyebrows” in the region.
The news about the drills comes at a time when the world is outraged by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the number of civilians killed by the war is constantly increasing. It also coincides with the time when the US is preparing for the US-ASEAN Summit (including Vietnam) on May 12-13.
The Russian state news website RIA Novosti reported that the initial meeting to prepare for the drill was held in an online form between the leaders of the Vietnamese army and Russia’s Eastern Military District.
The two sides “agreed on the topic for the upcoming exercise, the date and location to be determined” and had “discussed issues of logistical support, medical care, cultural and sports programs,” RIA Novosti reported without giving further details.
Colonel Ivan Taraev, head of the International Military Cooperation Department of the Eastern Military District, was quoted as saying that the joint exercise aims to “improve the practical skills of commanders and crews in organizing their operations” in organizing combat training and unit management activities in difficult tactical situations as well as offer unconventional solutions when performing missions.”
The two sides also discussed the name of the exercise. One proposal made for the exercise was “Continental Union – 2022.”
“Irrational decision”
Vietnam’s state-controlled media has not reported anything about the meeting and proposed exercises. Vietnamese officials were not immediately available for comment.
Professor Carl Thayer of the University of New South Wales in Australia, who follows the situation in Vietnam, told RFA:
“This is an unreasonable decision from the Vietnamese side. The United States is preparing for a summit with ASEAN leaders in May. Will Vietnam’s leaders be able to look President Biden in the eye when the United States has taken a clear stance on the war in Ukraine and the Russian invasion?”
“This is not how you deal with the world powers.” – Professor Carl Thayer said.
Earlier this month, Vietnam voted against a US-led resolution to remove Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council. Previously, Hanoi twice abstained from resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations General Assembly.
Ian Storey, the senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Institute in Singapore, told RFA:
“While Russia is a close partner in the region, Vietnam wants to show that it still has a firm friend in Southeast Asia.
But this joint exercise is likely to raise eyebrows (surprise) in the region.”
Vietnam and Russia have had a long historical relationship dating back to the former Soviet Union.
Russia is Vietnam’s first strategic partner and is currently one of three comprehensive strategic partners of Vietnam alongside two other countries, India and China. Russia was the biggest donor to Vietnam until the collapse of the Soviet bloc and Eastern Europe.
Hoang Thi Ha, a Vietnam expert at the ISEAS Institute – Yusof Ishak, writes:
“Vietnam’s approach to the Russia-Ukraine war and (Vietnam’s) refusal to name the Russian invaders by name show Hanoi’s view on its foreign and defense policy calculations.”
Expert Hoang Thi Ha said that the war waged by Russia in Ukraine “shows a difficult choice for Hanoi between maintaining the basic principle of respecting national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and maintaining good relations with Russia – an important arms supplier and main oil and gas exploration partner in Southeast Asia.”
Political message
This explains Vietnam’s steps, but there are differences between voting at the UN and organizing joint military operations. The joint military activity would send the wrong message about Vietnam’s intention to work with the West and enhance its position in the international community, analysts said.
In particular, the past decade has witnessed significant developments in relations between the United States and Vietnam, which share common concerns about China’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea.
Details of the Russian-Vietnamese military exercise have yet to be made public, and some observers are expressing doubts that it could take place.
A Vietnamese analyst who did not want to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to foreign media said that the Russian side had announced similar exercises in the past but failed to carry them out.
The press service of the Eastern Military District of Russia also reported in 2015 that the first bilateral exercise between Russia and Vietnam will be conducted in 2016 in the territory of Vietnam.
The exercise was scheduled to take place in 2017 but ultimately did not take place.
Vietnam, however, still participates in a number of multilateral military exercises with Russia. The most recent first joint naval exercise between Russia and ASEAN countries took place in December last year.
The Eastern Military District, with its headquarters in Khabarovsk, is one of the five strategic military districts of the Russian armed forces, responsible for Russia’s Far East. The military district was established by the president’s directive and signed into law by then-President Dmitry Medvedev in September 2010.
Thoibao.de (Translated)
