The Southeast Asia Summit, hosted and hosted by President Joe Biden, ended at the White House with a joint statement denying any condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to Bloomberg, the countries that participated in the summit, which is called the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN, issued a statement calling for an “immediate cessation of hostilities” in Ukraine. The countries stated that they “reaffirm their respect for sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity.”
However, the statement did not include the words “Russia”, “war” or “invasion”. The Kremlin refuses to describe its invasion of Ukraine as a war and instead calls it a “special military operation.” Tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed, according to Ukrainian, American and European officials, and Ukrainian cities have been ravaged by airstrikes and artillery and rocket fire.
Biden sought to mobilize US allies to support Ukraine’s defense, something he has accomplished in Europe, where most NATO countries have supplied weapons and other supplies to Kiev.
But ASEAN includes states that are more reluctant to criticize Russia directly. Indonesia, which will host the G20 summit later this year, has refused to exclude Vladimir Putin from the meeting and instead invites both Russian leader and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Much of the ASEAN summit was held in camera, so it was not clear to what extent the part of the joint statement on Ukraine was discussed.
Biden’s associates did not expect the Southeast Asian states to take a stand against Russia’s attack on a European state, and the United States saw it as a step forward in calling for a peaceful solution and stressing Ukraine’s territorial integrity, he said. senior government official.
Leaders from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam arrived at the White House on Thursday, hosting an ASEAN summit for the first time in the 55-year history of politics and economics. .
Biden also announced Friday that he would appoint Johannes Ibrahim, who serves as chief of staff and executive secretary of the National Security Council, as US ambassador to ASEAN. The position has been vacant since January 2017, according to the Straits Times.
U.S. officials say the meeting – and the announcement of new investments – could help combat China’s growing influence in the region.
The United States and ASEAN also agreed to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership in November, the joint statement said. This follows the establishment of a similar relationship between ASEAN and China last year.
The ASEAN countries also said they were “still deeply concerned about the crisis in Myanmar”, where a military junta is once again ruling the country following a coup against its elected leaders.
Source: Capital
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