The United States government has been working to bring Southeast Asian nations such as Vietnam into its anti-China alliance in order to contain China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
However, it appears that despite these efforts, Vietnam has been engaging in a clandestine arms deal with Russia, which would violate US sanctions policies according to an internal Vietnamese government document revealed by Big League Politics.
A document from the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance, dated March 2023, has been confirmed by current and former Vietnamese officials. This document outlines a plan to modernize Vietnam’s military through secret transfers, facilitated at a joint Russian-Vietnamese oil venture in Siberia.
The agreement was signed by a deputy finance minister. It is believed that this arms deal serves to “strengthen strategic trust” between Russia and Vietnam during a period when Russia is facing Western embargoes.
This would not be the first time that Vietnam has sought armament from Russia – according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, 56% of Vietnam’s total arms imports between 2017 and 2021 were from Russia.
This move demonstrates how Vietnam is looking to position itself as a powerful player in an increasingly multipolar geopolitical landscape, courting both the United States and Russia for support.
The Ministry of Finance document outlines a comprehensive strategy for the funding of Russian armaments by the Ministry of National Defense.
To evade detection from American authorities, payments for these weapons will be conducted through a joint venture between Russia and Vietnam called Rusvietpetro, which operates oil and natural gas production facilities in northern Russia.
“Our party and state,” the document states, “still identify Russia as the most important strategic partner in defense and security.”
A Vietnamese official has declared that the terms of a new weapons agreement with Russia will amount to approximately $8 billion over the course of 20 years.
Since the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Vietnam has not joined other Western nations in their sanctions or military aid campaigns against Russia.
Vietnam also refused to condemn Russia’s invasion at the United Nations and proceeded to vote against expelling them from its Human Rights Council. For more than a decade, the US government has been attempting to steer Vietnam away from Russian influence.
In 2016, they ended their weapons embargo on Vietnam as part of an effort to incentivize cooperation with their anti-China agenda by providing military aid.
It remains to be seen whether Vietnam will align itself with the US national security state’s anti-China crusade. Regardless of any sanctions the US Government may attempt to impose on Vietnam due to its purchase of Russian weapons, it is unlikely that they will follow through due to Vietnam’s value as a containment partner in its Asia-Pacific Strategy.
This reinforces Russia’s ongoing strong relationship with Vietnam regardless of any geopolitical maneuvers the US may try.
9 Responses
Can’t really blame them. US arms sales come with lots of strings attached.
Guess who’s fault that is??? I’ll give you three guesses and the first two don’t count, biden is bringing us to the edge of DISTRUCTION!!!!!
Traitor Joe has been the worst POS to ever be inThe White House. The Anti-American Communists that call themselves Democrats are destroying The United States with their actions and policies, shown daily.
Everyone knows the Deep State and DNC stole the 2020 election to get their puppet biden in office. This was the end of the Coup that started in 2015 when candidate Trump came down the escalator.
We have all been suffering from the illegal actions of those involved in the fraudulent election. Only the willfully ignorant lemmings think that biden got the most votes in United States history,, even more than barry. soetoro. Anyone with the common sense of a 5th grader knows that they dumped in a ton of illegal votes to get biden in the lead in the middle of the night.
AMEN MIKE!!!!!
TRUTH, TRUTH, TRUTH! Concise and to the point.
Put a clown in the WH, and watch the circus!!!
When did the communist regime of Vietnam become an ally? They’re communists and they’re proving they’re willing to align with other communist countries and against the US after exploiting us. What other communist regimes are supposedly our allies? Get a clue, communists are not our allies, they exploit others for their own purposes and with our appeasing leadership over the years, we’ve been gullible chumps to let them do it to us. And wasn’t Puppet Joe Briben just in Vietnam to open trade into them making the chips now made in Taiwan because China is threatening Taiwan? I wouldn’t be surprised if he promised foreign aid and subsidies to get them started. Why not push to make them here where there are no threats?
Tim you don’t know the history of Indochina like a Veteran of that war as a US Marine Sgt found out while in country in 66-67. The real culprit in Indochina was France and started with Napoleon the Third and 50 French monks in the 1830’s Go to a library and find a copy of The Lost Revolution by Robert Shaplen.
Being a Vietnam Vet I really couldn’t care less about that country. Robbed of a victory by our own politicians I have little interest in it’s future. However, only American politicians seems to not take care for it’s citizens until it solves ALL the worlds problem. Only then will they even consider addressing OUR problems. Needless to say the world has more problems than the US can ever solve. Every other country’s politicians generally pay attention to their own people with some attention to the world. Vietnam’s politicians are looking at the long haul–what will be the best for Vietnam. Our politicians are only interested in increasing their own power and wealth.