Danger flashing; Asia must ring-fence itself from Ukraine war spillover

A thousand days after the Ukraine war started, the conflict is heading into uncharted and dangerous waters. Asia must do everything it can to sidestep direct involvement.

- Ravi Velloor

For those who attended the event on Nov 14, Professor Tommy Koh's launch of his most recent book, My Journey Of Peace To Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania And Russia, provided an opportunity to reflect on the ongoing war in Ukraine - which just passed its 1000th day, and is taking on frightening dimensions for the entire world.

For the three Baltic states he travelled to in 1993 at the request of then UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, World War II really ended only when Russia, the Soviet Union's successor state, finally evicted itself from their territories 30 years ago.

A decade later, all three became members of both Nato and the European Union. Prof Koh's little book notes the significant advances EU membership has brought for the three, including a substantial rise in per capita incomes.

As for Ukraine, which got independence from Russia in 1991 and has similar aspirations as the Baltic states, not only has the war not ended, but the nightmare has also been renewed - first with Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, and since 2022, the Russian move towards the Ukrainian heartland.

A continent thought to have settled boundaries has been upended as Russia thrusts into north-east and eastern Ukraine, and seeks to consolidate its gains.

US President Joe Biden's acquiescence to the Ukrainian demand for permission to use lethal long-range rocket systems to strike deep into Russia - weapons impossible to operate without Nato technicians on the ground - adds a frightening twist to a bad situation. Russia has just announced a flintier edge to its nuclear doctrine.