Ukraine war, implications dominate discussion at ministerial roundtable

The war in Ukraine and its implications dominated a roundtable discussion among 27 visiting ministers and their representatives at the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference yesterday.

Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, who hosted the session, said there was significant discussion on the conflict that started in February, including its global consequences, such as inflationary pressures and supply shocks.

These aftershocks also came as a result of another "epochal, once-in-a-century" event - the Covid-19 pandemic, he told reporters in an interview after the roundtable.

The roundtable is a regular feature of the Shangri-La Dialogue, held this weekend at the Shangri-La Hotel after a break of two years owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Ng said that there was a realisation of what a continued war in Ukraine would mean for the world, including the price Ukraine, Russia and Europe have to pay.

But there was also discussion on what it would mean if the world looks the other way and allows violations of the United Nations Charter to proceed, he said, adding that the ministers did not shy away from these difficult issues.

Singapore's Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said the ministers discussed the implications of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on the loss of lives, international peace, as well as on the resilience of supply chains and the stability of markets.

Several of them also exchanged views on how the situation would affect the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and the world.

The participants included United States Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe, who sat across each other at the table. Other countries that attended were Malaysia, Canada, Brunei, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Ukraine and Qatar.

The representatives reaffirmed the importance of upholding a rules-based international order and agreed on the fundamental importance of adhering to states' obligations under international law and the UN Charter, added Mindef.

Asked about the impact of the Ukraine war on how Asean would manage the Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), Dr Ng said that while there is consensus that the global community has to send the right message when a "sacred law" is broken, preventing such conflicts requires practical efforts.

The ADMM-Plus is a dialogue between Asean and eight partners: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the US.

Dr Ng said: "You can't invade another country because that's the whole basis that our countries exist. That is principle. But in practicality, there is also the understanding that if you want to prevent that, principles alone may not work - it has to be accompanied by practical measures."

Separately, Malaysia's Senior Minister for Defence Hishammuddin Hussein called on Dr Ng on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue. Both ministers reaffirmed the longstanding bilateral relationship and cooperation during the meeting, said Mindef.

Dr Ng also met French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu. They witnessed the signing of an agreement that facilitates the provision of logistics support between the armed forces of France and Singapore.

Dr Ng also met his Japanese counterpart Nobuo Kishi and Ms Kajsa Ollongren, Netherlands' Defence Minister, yesterday.