Politics From North Korea to Vietnam: Putin seeks partners - night at a glance

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi after his visit to North Korea. This was reported by the Russian news agency Interfax on Wednesday evening. Putin was received with military honors at the start of his state visit - although not as high-ranking as in Pyongyang, where he was personally greeted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday.

According to Russian sources, Putin is to meet with the General Secretary of the Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, at whose invitation he is in Hanoi, as well as with President To Lam and head of government Pham Minh Chinh. Talks are planned on "the status and prospects for the further development of an all-encompassing strategic partnership between Russia and Vietnam in trade and business, research and technology as well as in humanitarian areas", according to the statement. The two-day visit will also cover international political issues.

Putin is also due to meet Vietnamese students in Hanoi who have studied in Russia or formerly in the Soviet Union. Relations between the two countries have been considered a partnership since Soviet times - partly because Moscow helped Hanoi during the Vietnam War.

Putin, who is subject to sanctions in the West because of his war of aggression against Ukraine, is looking for partners in the East. According to observers, he is also looking for potential arms suppliers. In North Korea, the head of the Kremlin concluded a strategic partnership agreement, which also includes assistance in the event of an attack by a third country. The growing military cooperation between the two countries, from which Russia is benefiting in the Ukraine war, is causing concern in the West.

Vietnam is officially neutral in the war. According to information from the Kremlin, Putin's delegation includes deputy defense minister Alexander Fomin, the head of the Russian authority for military-technical cooperation, Dmitry Shugaev, and the director of the arms company Rosoboronexport, Alexander Mikheyev.

Zelensky promises Ukrainians solutions to energy problems

Meanwhile, Ukraine is struggling with the consequences of the war. By winter, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi wants to improve the country's current catastrophic power supply due to systematic Russian attacks. "We are preparing solutions to get through the heating season more safely and to offer people more opportunities to get through this extremely difficult time in terms of energy supply, shortages and outages," said Zelensky in his daily video address. Kiev will also mobilize other partners for this purpose. The Ukrainian head of state did not provide any details.

Ukrainians are currently living with severe energy rationing. The electricity is repeatedly cut off for long periods of the day.

According to earlier statements by Zelenskyi, Russia has now destroyed energy capacities amounting to nine gigawatts. That is half of what Ukraine had available last winter. This is another reason why Zelenskyi has repeatedly called for the air defense system to be strengthened. This should prevent Russia's systematic destruction of energy objects in Ukraine - or at least make it more difficult.

Estonia buys twelve self-propelled howitzers in France

Estonia is continuing to arm itself against the backdrop of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine: The Baltic EU and NATO country is purchasing twelve Caesar self-propelled howitzers from France. This was announced by the Estonian Defense Investment Center in Tallinn. Six of the self-propelled weapon systems with a caliber of 155 millimeters are to be delivered by the end of 2024, the remaining units by the middle of next year.

This will be important on Thursday

Putin will meet all key decision-makers in Hanoi during his state visit to Vietnam. Moscow is focusing on increased cooperation - on the one hand to overcome its international isolation, and on the other in the hope of receiving further weapons aid.

SDA