Vietnam is not aligning with Russia against America. China is the party that should worry.
Vietnam is buying Russian Su-35 fighter planes:
Vietnam has significantly increased its military purchases from Russia despite US efforts to counter Moscow’s war economy—and has done so using concealed financial channels, according to an investigation by The New York Times on October 27.
The probe, based on internal documents from Russian state exporter Rostec and interviews with officials from Vietnam, the US, and elsewhere, offers a rare view into how Vietnam’s willingness to buy Russian systems has quietly tipped its strategic alignment. ...
Vietnam has historically depended on Soviet and Russian arms, but its current initiative is seen as a broader geopolitical shift: Hanoi is diversifying suppliers and hedging between Beijing, Moscow, and Washington as regional tensions intensify.
This is not an anti-American shift by Vietnam.Vietnam uses Russian weapons. It is difficult to switch suppliers rapidly. And Vietnam needs to counter looming China--not distant America. I see this arms deal as reinforcing Vietnam's anti-China posture.
Breathe, people. And work up a little nuance.
NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.
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NOTE Map from https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/red-against-red.html with my country notations added.
