Ukraine invasion: Singapore to impose unilateral sanctions on Russia in ‘almost unprecedented’ move
- Singapore’s decision to act in concert with the West to impose unilateral sanctions marks the second time it is censuring a foreign power without UN Security Council assent
- Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan warns the republic may have to face ‘some costs’ for the sanctions, but that it must ‘stand up for principles’ as a small state
The government will also “block certain Russian banks and financial transactions connected to Russia”, Vivian said in a special ministerial statement on the crisis, adding that the specific measures would be announced soon.
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The measures will come up at “some costs” to citizens and businesses in the island nation, the minister said. He said Singapore continued to “value our good relations with Russia and the Russian people”.
But “unless we as a country stand up for principles that are the very foundations for the independence and sovereignty of smaller nations, our own right to exist and prosper as a nation may similarly be called into question”, he said.
The republic’s legislature was due to begin a two-week debate on the 2022 budget on Monday, but lawmakers resolved to first allow Vivian to make a statement on Russia’s aggression.
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In his 20-minute speech, Vivian underscored that the republic’s tough stance on Russia was borne out of its diplomatic principles as a small state.
A world order where “might is right” and “where the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must”, he said, was “profoundly inimical to the security and survival of small states”.
“Such a rationale would go against the internationally recognised legitimacy and the territorial integrity of many countries, including Singapore,” he said. “Singapore must take any violation of these core principles seriously, whenever and wherever they occur. And this is why Singapore has strongly condemned Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine.”
Responding to a follow-up question on Singapore’s view on the Chinese position regarding the crisis, Vivian said he did not want to speculate on a foreign nation’s policies but said he believed Beijing “does hold firmly to the principles of independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
He was also asked whether the republic would review ongoing joint projects with Russia. To that, Vivian said he hoped the planned Russian Cultural Centre in the city state – which will also house the Russian Orthodox Church – would continue, as that initiative “goes beyond politics”. The groundbreaking ceremony for the building was held during Putin’s 2018 state visit to Singapore to mark the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations.
Commentators say that apart from Singapore, the region’s governments have tempered their reactions with an eye on their dependence on Moscow for arms.
The likes of Malaysia and Indonesia utilise Russian-made Sukhoi jets in their air forces. Singapore, in contrast, buys most of its weapons from the West.
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The retired Singaporean senior diplomat Bilahari Kausikan noted on Facebook that Vivian’s statement on Monday was “almost unprecedented”.
“Normally we only impose sanctions endorsed by the UN Security Council whose decisions are legally binding on all UN members. But given the Russian veto, UNSC sanctions will obviously never be passed,” said Bilahari, who formerly served as the foreign ministry’s permanent secretary.
“I said ‘almost unprecedented’ because the only other time, to my knowledge, when we have imposed unilateral sanctions was after the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia (then Kampuchea) in 1978, 44 years ago.”
He added: “Then and now, this is the right thing to do and Singaporeans can be proud that we have done the right thing and should support the government, regardless of their political views.”
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