Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan commented on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling it a “clear and gross” violation of international norms and a completely unacceptable precedent.
In his ministerial statement delivered in Parliament on Monday (Feb 28), Dr Balakrishnan explained the incidents leading up to the invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24.
He noted that Russia failed in upholding its obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, as stipulated in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances. “Words which perhaps ring quite hollow today,” said Dr Balakrishnan.
From the over 100,000 Russian troops sent to Ukrainian borders beginning spring 2021 and cyberattacks launched against the Ukrainian government websites in January 2022 to the “peacekeeping operations” on Feb 21 and the “special military operation” on Feb 24, the world is following the Ukrainian crisis with grave concern.
Even though Ukraine is far from Singapore, Dr Balakrishnan noted that the conflict’s economic effects could already be felt here, citing examples of rising electricity and petrol prices.
Beyond the economic effects, he highlighted that the events in Ukraine go to the heart of the fundamental norms of international law and the United Nations Charter that prohibit the use of force and acts of aggression against another sovereign state.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a clear and gross violation of the international norms and a completely unacceptable precedent,” he said. “This is an existential issue for us.”
“A world order based on might is right or where the strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must – such a world order would be profoundly inimical to the security and survival of small states.”
Dr Balakrishnan said, “We cannot accept one country attacking another without justification, arguing that its independence was the result of ‘historical errors and crazy decisions.'”
He reiterated that big and small, the sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected.
“We strongly urge Russia to cease this offensive military action immediately and to work for a peaceful settlement in accordance with the UN Charter and international law,” he said.
Meanwhile, Singapore is doing its part, with the Singapore Red Cross pledging a contribution of US$100,000 to support communities affected by the current crisis.
The initiative would help provide essential relief supplies such as hygiene and household kits for the vulnerable displaced by the conflict.
At the same time, the Singapore Red Cross has launched a public fundraising appeal to support the impending massive humanitarian operations. More details can be found here.
Important lessons to draw from the Ukrainian crisis
In his speech, Dr Balakrishnan mentioned four lessons for Singapore to draw from the Ukraine invasion, the first of which is that international law and diplomatic principles are not sufficient to defend a country.
“The invasion of Ukraine demonstrates how quickly a vulnerable country can be overrun, especially when confronting a larger and more powerful opponent,” he said.
“You cannot depend on others to protect your country; thus, we must never lose the ability to defend and look after ourselves and this is why Singapore has invested consistently to build up a credible and strong Singapore Armed Forces and to maintain National Service as a fundamental element of our nationhood,” he explained.
The second lesson is how easy it is for small countries to be caught up in the geopolitical games of big powers. Therefore, small countries must avoid becoming “sacrificial pawns, vassal states or cat’s paws to be used by one side against the other,” said Dr Balakrishnan.
“As a young nation, it is vital for us to maintain domestic unity and cohesion, bearing in mind how easily internal divisions can be exploited by adversaries, especially in this internet age and the advent of hybrid warfare,” he said, touching on the next lesson.
He noted that dividing and weakening an opponent internally has become the standard complement to conventional warfare.
Therefore, Dr Balakrishnan urged domestic politics to stop at Singapore shores.
“And I thank all members of Parliament for adhering to this precept, and I have shared this point with the leader of opposition, Mr Pritam Singh.”
Lastly, he admitted that safeguarding one’s sovereignty and national interest often requires some sacrifice and pain, as could be seen with the current Ukrainian crisis, where Ukrainians are paying the ultimate price for their freedom.
“Singaporeans too must understand that standing up for our national interest may come with some cost. We must be prepared to deal with the consequences, to bear the pain, to help one another and to stand up together,” he said.
“We continue to value our good relations with Russia and the Russian people; however, we cannot accept such violations of sovereignty and territorial integrity of another sovereign state.”/TISG