Vietnam used to toe to Putin's narratives. But the invasion of Ukraine and recent Russia's actions probably reshaped Vietnamese thinking.
5 March 2022 would probably be an interesting day for me. In the embassy of Ukraine in Hanoi, Vietnam, the embassy organised a charity event aiming to support Ukraine amidst the ongoing Russian invasion of the country. At the same time, it coincided with a series of football matches in Europe's top leagues - Spain, France, Italy, England and Germany - these leagues have called for the end of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and fans have been showing solidarity. But that was not something I cared of. I cared about these issues, because Vietnamese state media did not censor these messages , even when they did not declare to do so. When I visited the Ukrainian embassy, the police force didn't prevent me from entering - the gate was open, and Russian war crimes had been displayed by the embassy, open for Vietnamese visitors to raise eyebrows about the reality of Russia - a country that has a special relationship with Vietnam for a long time. It was not the only thing I read. In G...