The United States has rebuked Vietnam for extending an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit Hanoi this week, the US embassy in Hanoi announced.
Putin is expected to arrive in Vietnam on Wednesday and Thursday, responding to repeated invitations from Vietnamese leaders. However, the move has drawn criticism from the US, which has spearheaded Western sanctions on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
A spokesperson for the US embassy in Hanoi stated, "No country should provide Putin with a platform to promote his war of aggression or normalize his atrocities."
The spokesperson expressed concerns that allowing Putin to travel freely could normalise Russia's violations of international law, referring to the invasion of Ukraine, which Russia terms as a "special operation."
While the US has strengthened relations with Hanoi recently, being Vietnam's top trading partner, it warned against overlooking Russia's alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
Vietnam's foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment regarding Putin's visit.
Although Putin's visit has not been formally announced, multiple officials have confirmed the trip, marking his first visit to Vietnam since 2017.
The two nations share historically close ties.
"We cannot ignore Russia's violations of international law," the US embassy spokesperson added, emphasizing the need for accountability for those responsible for war crimes, despite neither Vietnam, Russia, nor the US being members of the ICC.
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