April 30, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of the withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam.
50 years ago, not only did the Vietnam War (1955-1975), one of the most exhausting and long-lasting wars of the second half of the twentieth century, end, but also Vietnam’s long struggle for independence from colonial rule and foreign interference.
The Vietnamese people not only gained independence and united the country in defense of their land, but also demonstrated to the world the importance of the spirit of national unity and faith in their principles, which allowed them to fight a just struggle to secure the country’s freedom, independence, and sovereignty.
The protracted military conflict, during which about four million Vietnamese died (civilians suffered the greatest losses) and more than 58,000 U.S. military personnel were killed, was put to an end.
April 30, 1975 was a historic event when North and South Vietnam officially united after many years of war to form the unified Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Currently, Vietnam consistently adheres to the “Four No’s” policy: not to enter into military alliances; not to side with one country against another; not to allow foreign militaries to establish bases in Vietnam or use Vietnam’s territory as leverage against others; and not to use or threaten the use of force in international relations.
Defensive diplomacy has become the mainstay of Vietnamese diplomacy. To date, Vietnam has been actively involved in the United Nations peacekeeping mission, international cooperation in non-traditional security, humanitarian assistance, search and rescue, and post-war mitigation, thus making a great contribution to maintaining international and regional peace, stability, cooperation, and development.
Vietnam and Ukraine have traditional friendly relations. Tens of thousands of Vietnamese have studied and worked in Ukraine. Thousands of Vietnamese have chosen Ukraine as their second home and stayed here after studying and working. In Ukraine
is home to a large Vietnamese diaspora (before the war, it numbered about 10,000 people).
Trade between Vietnam and Ukraine dropped after the outbreak of the war, but has now begun to grow again, and delegations have been exchanged.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has met twice with President Zelenskyy at international events.
Minister Dmytro Kuleba also met with the Vietnamese Foreign Minister at an ASEAN meeting.
Andriy Sybiga, Minister of Foreign Affairs, held telephone talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Bui Thanh Son on the potential of bilateral relations and the need to intensify high-level dialogue.
What has happened in the past with Vietnam over the decades provides at least two lessons for the modern world.
First, the independence, sovereignty, and integrity of every nation, large or small, should be respected.
Secondly, the Cold War between the great powers only brings misery to small countries trapped in this competition.
The lessons of history are very relevant and can be useful for establishing peace in Ukraine.
Every fifth child in Ukraine has reported losing a close relative or friend since the start of Russia’s full-scale aggression three years ago, according to a survey published by UNICEF on Friday.
“For all these years, death and destruction have been a daily routine for every child in Ukraine. This level of violence causes enormous suffering for children and deprives them of a true childhood,” said UNICEF Executive Director Katharine Russell.
It is noted that the third year of the full-scale war in Ukraine has become even more deadly for children compared to 2023: the number of child casualties has increased by 50%. In total, more than 2,520 children have been killed or injured since February 2022. It is noted that the true number of victims is likely to be much higher, as these are only figures confirmed by the UN.
It is officially recorded that more than 1,600 educational institutions and almost 790 healthcare facilities have been damaged or destroyed over the past three years, UNICEF added.
“The war has caused irreparable losses to children and adolescents, affecting their development and well-being at key stages of their lives,” the Fund states.
He reminds that the experience of the first three years determines the health and learning of children throughout their lives, and in Ukraine, children born three years ago do not even know what peaceful life is. Parents report feeling physically and emotionally exhausted, which affects the lives of the entire family. The war has also made it harder for young children and their parents to access critical services.
“Adolescence is a particularly difficult period for children in Ukraine. Almost a third of adolescents reported feeling sad and hopeless, which prevent them from doing their usual activities. These feelings are much more prevalent among girls,” the publication says.
UNICEF points out that children’s mental health problems are exacerbated by forced seclusion. Many children spend hours in shelters, losing opportunities for socializing and learning. Almost 40% of children study only online or combine face-to-face and remote classes. The impact of the war on learning is very serious: the average level of educational loss is two years in reading and one year in math, according to the Foundation.
UNICEF reminds that it is working with partners across Ukraine to provide children in frontline areas with vital support, including access to health services, safe water, cash assistance, education and protection. In addition, the Foundation works with the government and partners to lay the foundation for Ukraine’s recovery and long-term development, and to promote social cohesion by strengthening systems that support children and their families. This includes strengthening child social protection, health and education systems so that they can provide children with timely and quality support, care and opportunity services.
It is also noted that there are currently 6.86 million Ukrainian refugees registered in the world, almost 1 million of whom live in Poland. For refugee children, access to schooling remains a challenge, as half of school-age children in refugee-hosting countries are not enrolled in local educational institutions, which affects their ability to learn and communicate with their peers, as well as develop basic skills critical to Ukraine’s recovery.
“All children without exception must be protected from the effects of war in accordance with international humanitarian and human rights law. What children in Ukraine need most of all is sustainable peace and the chance to realize their full potential,” Russell emphasized.
US President Donald Trump said that he has “always liked” Chinese President Xi Jinping and expressed hope for China’s help in a peaceful resolution of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“I hope China will help us stop the war, particularly with Russia, Ukraine, and they have a lot of power over this situation. And we will work with them. And I mentioned that during our phone call with President Xi, and I hope we can work together and stop it,” he said during an online chat after a special address at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday.
According to Trump, his administration “looks forward to getting along very well with China.”
The US leader also noted that he “really likes President Xi” Jinping. “I’ve always liked him. We’ve always had a very good relationship,” the US president added.
The future US Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, said that he aims to find a solution to end Russia’s war against Ukraine within the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s presidency.
“I think the biggest mistake that President Biden made is that he never engaged in conversations with Putin. I mean, he hasn’t talked to him in over two years. He needs to talk to him. That’s one of the great things that the president (Trump) is doing – he’s talking to both adversaries and allies,” Kellogg said on FOX News.
According to the general, Trump “really knows that you have to talk to people to get things done, and that’s what he’s going to do.”
“We will create the conditions for the president, and eventually he will be in a position to talk to President Putin and also to President Zelensky. And I think they will come to an acceptable decision in the short term. And when I say “in the short term,” you know, I would like to set a goal on a personal level, on a professional level. I would say let’s set 100 days,” Kellogg said.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who had earlier declared himself the winner of the presidential race, said he intends to end wars in the world.
“I’m not going to start wars, I’m going to end wars,” Trump said in a speech to his supporters in Palm Beach, Florida.
He emphasized that in the four years of his first presidential term, “we have had no wars, except for the defeat of the Islamic State.”
The war has led to an 85% drop in inbound tourism, which will lead to a decrease in revenues of more than $1 billion by 2024 and more than $12.7 billion by 2030, the press service of the Ukrainian Hotel & Resort Association (UHRA) reports.
Such data follows from the study “Economic Impact of the War on the Tourism and Hospitality Sector of Ukraine: Losses, Innovations and Resilience”, conducted with the support of the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine (DART) in partnership with the UHRA, the Association of Inbound Tour Operators of Ukraine (AITOU), the All-Ukrainian Association of Guides (UAG), the Ukrainian Restaurant Association (URA) and the Ukrainian Culinary Association (UCA).
“Before the outbreak of full-scale war, Ukraine’s tourism sector was on a path of steady growth, contributing $1.6 billion to the national economy and providing 1.2 million jobs. The war has undermined this progress, but with coordinated recovery efforts and targeted international investment, the sector can rebound and once again become a vital engine of Ukraine’s economic recovery,” UHRA President Iryna Sidletska was quoted as saying in the release.
According to the study, it is expected that by the end of 2024, tourism revenues in Ukraine will be more than $1 billion below pre-war forecasts. Total revenue losses by 2030 are estimated at $12.7 billion.
At the same time, the number of jobs by the end of 2024 will be reduced by more than 60% compared to pre-war levels. Experts expect that by 2034, the total number of jobs in the industry will increase to 1 million, which is 540 thousand jobs less than in the pre-war scenario.
The tourism industry is forced to develop in the face of a shortage of investment. The amount of suspended foreign and domestic private investment is estimated at tens of billions of dollars.
GART Chairwoman Mariana Oleskiv emphasized that despite the ongoing war, Ukraine’s tourism industry is showing resilience.
“We are grateful to our partners for analyzing the macroeconomic indicators of the Ukrainian tourism industry, which confirmed that the priority chosen by the Agency – the development of domestic tourism – is correct, especially in conditions when we have almost lost outbound tourism, and inbound tourism, according to this study, has decreased by 85%. Our efforts have resulted in a steady increase in tax revenues in the tourism sector and an increase in hotel occupancy in regions that are relatively safe and popular with tourists,” Oleskiv said.
The report emphasizes the enormous potential of Ukraine’s tourism industry to contribute to the post-war economic recovery and achieve a key role as a generator of national GDP. The experts’ recommendations include investing in the restoration of war-damaged monuments and hospitality facilities; focusing on energy-efficient and green projects; supporting the retraining of displaced workers, veterans, and people with disabilities; and strengthening the promotion of domestic and regional tourism to stabilize the local economy.
Despite the enormous challenges, the authors of the report emphasize that with proper support, Ukraine’s tourism sector can gradually recover and become a powerful symbol of resilience, peace, and economic strength.
The full report will be available for download in October 2024 on the resources of the partners who participated in this study.
