Dr Ian Storey, a senior fellow on the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, informed CNA that Russia is eager to lift its recreation in Southeast Asia as a result of it needs to display to the West that its efforts to isolate Russia following its invasion of Ukraine have failed, particularly within the World South.
He added that Russia needs to avoid Western sanctions by growing gross sales of oil and pure gasoline to regional states.
Nevertheless, he pressured that there shall be a blended reception for Russia’s involvement within the area.
“The Kremlin has some outdated buddies in Southeast Asia, together with Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. It has additionally moved nearer to Myanmar for the reason that navy seized energy in February 2021. However Singapore and the Philippines stay against Russian aggression towards Ukraine,” mentioned Dr Storey.
The US has additionally been vital of some international locations which have hosted Mr Putin since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
For example, in response to Mr Putin’s go to to Mongolia this week, Washington mentioned that no nation ought to give him “a platform to advertise his battle of aggression towards Ukraine”, an identical line it took towards Vietnam earlier in 2024 for internet hosting the Russian chief.
Throughout his working go to, PM Anwar additionally invited Mr Putin to attend subsequent 12 months’s ASEAN Summit, which shall be chaired by Malaysia. The ASEAN Summit usually additionally encompasses different summits such because the ASEAN-China Summit, the ASEAN-US Summit and the East Asia Summit.
Russia, US and China are members of the East Asia Summit.
“It is a daring transfer by Anwar to ask Putin to the East Asia Summit, as a few of ASEAN’s Dialogue Companions could threaten to boycott the assembly if the Russian chief attends,” mentioned Dr Storey.
Nevertheless, he famous that Mr Putin had attended the East Asia Summit solely as soon as in individual – through the 2018 occasion held in Singapore, and that Russia is more likely to ship International Minister Sergey Lavrov as a substitute for subsequent 12 months’s Summit.
Dr Azmi Hassan, a senior fellow on the Nusantara Academy for Strategic Analysis, informed CNA that many international locations in ASEAN have sturdy commerce ties with the US and given how Russia and the US are locked in two opposing camps, Mr Anwar’s invitation to Mr Putin may increase eyebrows amongst some regional international locations.
“Malaysia shall be ASEAN Chair subsequent 12 months and this may make issues sophisticated for the US particularly as a result of Malaysia has no drawback working alongside the likes of Putin, Xi, though Anwar has pressured that he needs to show neutrality,” mentioned the political analyst.
ANWAR’S BRICS AMBITIONS STAYING CONSISTENT TO NEUTRALITY?
Analysts informed CNA that Mr Anwar’s go to to Russia is partly to underline Malaysia’s international coverage which embraces the precept of “neutrality” and being “all people’s pal”. On the similar time, they added that the prime minister was eager to reiterate Malaysia’s want to be part of the BRICS group of rising economies.
BRICS, established in 2009, initially included Brazil, Russia, India, and China, whereas South Africa joined a 12 months later. It has since expanded to incorporate Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
The worldwide organisation now contributes to 1 / 4 of the worldwide economic system, accounts for one-fifth of world commerce and represents about 40 per cent of the world’s inhabitants.
