Russia’s Singapore envoy says image in Asia remains ‘snow-white’, Moscow has ‘no regrets’ after Ukraine invasion

Russia’s Singapore envoy Nikolay Kudashev said Russia had ‘nothing to be ashamed of, and nothing to regret’ following the invasion of Ukraine
He pointed out that few Asian nations had sanctioned Putin’s government and warned of the consequences of isolating one of world’s biggest powers

Singapore

Dewey Sim

Published: 10:00am, 1 Aug 2022

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Russia has maintained a “snow-white” image in Asia and has long pushed for a “simple” foreign policy that benefited the region unlike those advocated by the West, Russia’s envoy to Singapore said, as he warned of the dangers of isolating Moscow.

Nikolay Kudashev said an illustration of this strong standing was how only a handful of countries in Asia – as well as in Latin America and Africa – have joined their Western counterparts in imposing sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in February.

“The overwhelming majority of the world’s countries do not want to live as if the colonial times are back. The vast majority of states want to be independent, want to rely on their own traditions, to rely on their own history and their old friends,” he said.

Asian nations shouldn’t focus on Ukraine war, says Russia’s envoy to Singapore

“As far as our image is concerned, we’ve got nothing to be ashamed of, and nothing to regret. To all those with a sense of good and reason, Russia’s image remains snow-white and untouchable for slander and defamation,” the ambassador told This Week In Asia in an interview.

As the war in Ukraine stretches into its fifth month with both sides suffering losses, Western leaders and their allies have rallied for Asia to adopt a harsher stance against Russia’s actions.

But most countries in the region have remained relatively cautious in their protest, for fear of retaliation from Moscow, with whom many have complex trade and security relations. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore are among the few Asian economies that have levied some form of economic sanctions on Russia.

Nikolay Kudashev, Russia’s envoy to Singapore, said that Russia’s policies for the Asia-Pacific region were “inclusive and free from confrontation”. Photo: Russian Embassy in Singapore

Kudashev said the West was pushing for a future “under the brand of a rules-based world order” but added that it was “a remake of the unipolar world where the US dominates everything”.

“This is not even an offer … but rather, it is essentially an ultimatum.”

The career diplomat, who was formerly Russia’s envoy to India, argued that Western leaders followed one principle. “If I want something, then I get it and you have to obey. If you don’t obey, you will be punished,” he said.

Instead, Russia’s policies for the Asia-Pacific region were “inclusive and free from confrontation”, he said, and aimed at fostering mutual development. Moscow, he added, was also a strong supporter of the so-called Asean centrality, referring to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc.

Russia’s message is inclusive, open, predictable and sustainable … rather than going back to confrontation, domination and unipolarity

Nikolay Kudashev, Russia’s envoy to Singapore

“Russia’s message is inclusive, open, predictable and sustainable … rather than going back to confrontation, domination and unipolarity,” he added.

Ties with Singapore ‘frozen’

For Singapore – the sole nation in Southeast Asia to impose sanctions on Russia following the Ukraine invasion – Kudashev said relations with the city state have “frozen” and political dialogue has halted. Trade relations have suffered and humanitarian contacts are at their lowest.

The soured ties would affect Singapore more keenly, he said, citing how the island republic has constraints resulting from its geography. “Singapore needs openness [and] international cooperation but not sanctions,” he said.

Ukraine invasion: Singapore aside, rest of Asean’s ambivalence is ‘shocking’

Kudashev stressed that Moscow did not lack friends and partners, and attempts to isolate Russia would fail. There could be many consequences if countries isolated Russia, he said. “To put it simply, the risks of confrontation will grow.”

In the 40-minute interview, Kudashev echoed earlier statements by the Kremlin that Russia was not waging war on the Ukrainian people, calling Russia’s military operation a “last resort” and a “forced” decision.

Even as fresh developments including Russia’s missile strikes at the Odesa port have cast doubts over Russia’s credibility and whether it would keep its side of a recently-signed grain export deal, Kudashev maintained that Moscow has adhered to the pact and that the strikes had not created obstacles preventing grains from being shipped.

Russia, he said, remained open to political and diplomatic solutions, and would be a reliable partner for those interested in cooperation.

The ambassador also discussed the global food and energy crisis precipitated by the war in Ukraine, arguing that food inflation has been observed from as early as the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The West, he said, has also discriminated against Russian energy projects including the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, citing how Western nations reduced the capacity of Nord Stream 1 by 50 per cent.

Asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin would be present on the Indonesian island of Bali for the G20 summit in November, Kudashev would only say that the invitation from Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo has been accepted.

A decision on whether Putin would be there in-person or virtually would be made closer to the date and would factor in Covid-19 considerations.

“President Putin will definitely be part of the summit. As far as his physical or virtual presence is concerned, the decision would be taken the week before the summit,” he said.