Ukraine war latest: South Korea condemns Putin's defence pact with Kim - as new photos emerge of leaders' day out (2024)

Vladimir Putin has reportedly invited top Vietnamese officials to visit Russia.

Russian state news agency RIA said the officials invited include General Secretary of the Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong.

The Russian president is currently on a trip to Vietnam, where the two countries have signed deals bringing them closer together.

The two countries have agreed to further cooperation across multiple industries, as Vladimir Putin makes a state visit to Hanoi.

The series of deals signed today agree to closer ties around education, science and technology, oil and gas exploration and health.

Russia and Vietnam also agreed to work on a road-map for a nuclear science and technology centre in Vietnam.

Following the talks, Mr Putin said the two countries share an interest in "developing a reliable security architecture" in the Asia-Pacific Region based on not using force and peacefully settling disputes with no room for "closed military-political blocs".

Russia is keen to maintain "close and effective cooperation" in energy, industry, technology, education, security and trade, said Russian ambassador to Vietnam Gennady S Bezdetko, according to Vietnamese official media.

Following Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea yesterday, South Korea has just made a statement condemning a pact signed by the two pariah states.

Russia and North Korea agreed on a new defence deal vowing to help each other in case of invasion.

South Korea hit out at the pact, which it called "absurd", and said it would reconsider sending weapons to Ukraine.

The presidential office said Russia's military assistance to the North would have a negative impact on relations between Seoul and Moscow.

Any actions helping North Korea increase its military capability are a violation of UN resolutions, it said.

It added it would further strengthen South Korea's security cooperation with the US and Japan.

Vladimir Putin has held talks withVietnamese PresidentTo Lam during a visit in Hanoi today.

He also signed a series of deals with his Vietnamese counterpart to further cooperation on education, science and technology, energy, climate change and health.

The Russian leader arrived in Hanoi this morning from North Korea, where he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed an agreement that pledges mutual aid in the event of war.

Mr Putin is also scheduled to meet Vietnam's Communist Party general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

We're getting plenty of fond comments coming through between Vladimir Putin and Vietnamese President To Lam as they meet in Hanoi.

Earlier Mr To said he wanted to boost ties with Russia - and now Mr Putin says he is interested in strengthening the "traditionally friendly" relationship between the two countries.

"I would like to emphasise that the positions of Russia and Vietnam largely coincide or are close," Mr Putin said during a conference.

He said both countries "firmly uphold the principles of the supremacy of international law, sovereignty, non-interference in the internal affairs of other states [and] coordinate efforts at key multilateral venues".

Mr Putin's comments came after an exchange of signed cooperation agreements between Russian and Vietnamese officials.

Ukrainian drone attacks conducted by the SBU security agency have caused fires at fuel depots in the Russian regions of Tambov, in central Russia, and Adygeyea, in the southwestern part of the country, this morning, a Kyiv intelligence source has told Reuters.

We earlier reported Russian officials had said fires had broken out at two fuel depots after suspected drone attacks.

The Ukrainian source said the depots supplied the Russian military and that the strikes aimed to reduce their resources.

Ukraine rarely claims responsibility publicly for attacks on Russian territory.

EU countries have agreed a 14th package of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine, diplomats have announced.

Belgium, which holds the European Union presidency until 1 July, said on X that the package "maximises the impact of existing sanctions by closing loopholes".

Since the start of Russia's invasion, the EU has imposeda number ofeconomic sanctions, diplomatic measures and visa measures.

The aim of theeconomic sanctionsis to "impose severe consequences on Russia for its actions" and to "effectively thwart Russia's ability to continue its aggression".

Last night's Russian attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure has left more than 218,000 consumers without power, according to the country's energy ministry.

It earlier said three workers at an energy facility were injured in the attacks.

A thermal power plant was also seriously damaged, energy firm DTEK said.

Vladimir Putin is in Vietnam today - but yesterday he was visiting North Korea and his long-time ally Kim Jong Un.

In newly released images of the pair, they appear jovial and relaxed.

The two leaders drive each other in a car, walk through a flower garden and greet dogs.

We've just been hearing from our Asia correspondent Nicole Johnston, who says Vladimir Putin will be getting a full state welcome in Vietnam.

After his trip to North Korea, this highlights Mr Putin's message for the West - that despite sanctions against Russia and its isolation, "Putin does have friends in the East".

Johnston says the two countries have a long relationship, with Vietnam's defence depending completely on Russia as most of its weapons come from there.

Russia also invests in the oil and energy industry in Vietnam.

"All of this is being watched with a great deal of concern in the West, especially in the United States, because what's so fascinating about Vietnam in this region is it wants to be friends with everyone, and it's trying to keep its relationship with Russia," Johnston says.

"It wants to have a relationship with China. And last year it upgraded its relationship with the United States as well."