Kremlin calls Putin's visits to North Korea and Vietnam 'intense and productive'

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visits to North Korea and Vietnam were "very intense and productive," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov called the Western reaction to Putin's visits to the Asian countries "puzzling," noting that Moscow's partnerships with other states have never been directed against third countries.

"Any foreign policy activity of Russia, even in regions directly adjacent to our country, is perceived with hostility and viewed through the lens of Western aspirations to suppress Russia," he said.

Peskov said Russia's interactions with its partners aim solely at enhancing the well-being of the peoples involved. He acknowledged that Moscow understands Washington will continue to exert pressure on all its partners, including Vietnam.

"We have no doubt that the US will pressure all our partners. But the cooperation we offer is devoid of any confrontational attitude towards third countries. It is mutually beneficial and absolutely aligns with the interests of our partners, including Vietnam," he stressed.

Peskov explained that the bilateral talks in Vietnam aimed to give a new impetus to the development of Russian-Vietnamese cooperation.

"The potential is great in various fields. The negotiations were substantive and specific. Now, much work needs to be done at the expert and business levels to implement these initiatives," he added.

When asked about Putin's statement in Hanoi that Russia would "go to the end" in case of Western escalation, Peskov clarified that it referred to achieving the goals of the "special military operation" in Ukraine.

The spokesman said Russia is ready to conduct dialogue with the US on strategic stability issues, but only in conjunction with the Ukrainian issue. "We are open to dialogue, but to a broad, comprehensive dialogue that covers all dimensions, including the dimension related to the conflict around Ukraine and the involvement of the United States in this conflict."

Commenting on US sanctions against Russia's Kaspersky Lab, Peskov called them Washington's "favorite ploy of unjust, unfair competition." "They resort to such techniques every time," he said.

Putin visited North Korea and Vietnam from Tuesday till Thursday. The trip to the Asia-Pacific region was preceded by a day-long working trip to Russia's Yakutia region.