Recent visits by Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea and Vietnam have generated significant interest in Western media. Additionally, the visit of Russian warships to Cuba did not go unnoticed.

Before the war in Ukraine began in February 2022, such events might not have attracted as much attention. Today, however, they occur in the context of Western attempts to isolate Russia on the global stage. It seems these attempts have not significantly undermined many of Russia's international relationships.

While most European countries support Western sanctions, many other nations, especially those in the Global South, maintain economic and political ties with Russia. The reasons for this lie in historical connections and contemporary circumstances.

Longtime Friends
Many of Russia's international relationships have a long history. When it comes to North Korea and Vietnam, the governments of these states exist in their current forms partly due to military and political support from the former Soviet Union during the Cold War.
In the case of Cuba, Fidel Castro's government likely would have been overthrown after the 1959 revolution if it were not for Soviet political and military support. In 1961, the CIA supported a failed attempt to overthrow Castro. Later Soviet support for Castro, even after the Cuban Missile Crisis, remained significant.

In 1975, as the Portuguese colonial empire was collapsing, the Soviet Union helped the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) take power in Angola. During the late 1970s and 1980s, the Soviet Union and Cuba supported the MPLA in facing opposition backed by the United States and apartheid South Africa.

Elsewhere in southern Africa, nationalist and anti-colonial movements also received support from the Soviet Union. The African National Congress in South Africa and Namibia's SWAPO party operated from bases in Angola, both receiving Soviet support.

Both parties remained dominant political forces in their countries after the fall of apartheid in South Africa. In both cases, there is still recognition of Soviet historical support.

Renewing Friendships
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian government allowed some Cold War-era relationships to wither to some extent. Throughout much of the 1990s, President Boris Yeltsin's government was more focused on stabilizing the economic and political situation at home and deepening ties with the West than maintaining Cold War-era relationships.

Since the late 1990s, the Russian government has been putting more effort and money into reviving Soviet-era relationships. What has helped maintain many relationships are personal and military connections dating back to the Cold War.

Tens of thousands of Soviet personnel, both military and civilian, spent time in other countries as young people. More than 10,000 served at one point in Angola alone. Russian veterans' organizations, such as the Angola Veterans Association, maintain important connections among today's countries.

Many young people from various countries around the world studied and trained in the Soviet Union. Some of them are leaders in their countries today. One example is the current president of Angola, João Lourenço, who attended university in the Soviet Union.

The Soviets typically supplied these countries with weapons and military equipment. The maintenance and modernization of this equipment remain important drivers of continued relationships.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many of these countries sought better relations with the West. However, Cuban relations with the United States remained tense, and Cold War-era American sanctions remained in place for decades. The US has also led efforts to isolate North Korea. In both cases, it is not surprising that Cuba and North Korea are willing to renew and maintain relationships with Russia.

Balancing Between Russia and the West
In the case of Vietnam, relations with the United States have significantly improved since the Cold War and the devastation inflicted on the country during the Vietnam War. However, Vietnam's nominally communist government is not warmly embraced by the US. Despite reconciliation with the Americans, Vietnam is not ready to sever its relationship with Russia at the West's behest.

There are also important economic aspects to many of Russia's contemporary international relationships, particularly when it comes to the discounted price of Russian oil.

Many governments with which Russia has good relations do not have the liberal-democratic credentials considered desirable in the West. This is certainly the case with North Korea, Vietnam, and Cuba. However, viewing Russia's international relations as a case of authoritarianism versus democracy is an oversimplification.

Countries like Namibia and South Africa are democracies. Their economic relations with Russia are relatively limited. Nonetheless, a shared desire not to be dependent on the West plays a significant role in their enduring relationships.

Russia's growing relations with China help strengthen its ties with other states through international organizations like BRICS. The recent expansion of BRICS and the potential for other Russian allies like Venezuela to join the organization indicate a growing desire in parts of the world for alternatives to the Western-dominated international system.

Whether the United States and its allies like it or not, the world is becoming more multipolar than it was at the end of the Cold War.

The Western response to Russia's war in Ukraine has certainly solidified European opposition to Russia. However, elsewhere in the world, Western actions and hypocrisy regarding the situation in Gaza have made many rethink and perhaps encouraged some to develop their ties with Russia.

Original:
Alexander Hill
Professor of Military History, University of Calgary