In travelling to Singapore to elevate the Russian engagement with Asia, President Vladimir Putin was walking through an open door. Unlike Europe, where the resentment against Russia has been resurgent, and America, where Moscow is trapped in the civil war between the Republicans and Democrats, Asia is more than eager to deepen ties with Moscow.
The reasons are many and varied, but the timing has never been better in a long while. For Singapore and Asean, the hope is that Mr Putin's visit will begin to reduce the gap between the full potential and the reality of the relations between Russia and South-east Asia.
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