00:00Malaysia and ASEAN have long relied on a policy of non-alignment, maintaining impartial relations
00:06with the major powers to avoid entanglement in geopolitical rivalries. Rooted in the diplomatic
00:12stance taken during the Cold War, this approach continued to guide Malaysia and ASEAN, especially
00:18in efforts to balance ties between the US, Russia and China. But Denis Mikhailuk, Ukraine's acting
00:25ambassador to Malaysia, does not believe that IDEA can work in today's fractured geopolitical landscape,
00:31especially for countries in the global south, like Malaysia.
00:34It just showed that to be really neutral is very difficult in the world which is not stable.
00:44We all see that the unipolar or almost unipolar world, which was the predominant concept after
00:53the collapse of the Soviet Union, is not existing anymore or at least challenged by the emerging powers.
01:03Specifically, Russia and China.
01:05It just showed that to be really neutral in these states you have to be really strong.
01:10Malaysia is not really a neutral state, it's a not-aligned state. Malaysia's neutrality or non-alignment
01:18is based not on the ability to protect itself, but mostly by the blessing by having no immediate threats.
01:29In your view, how has Russia's invasion of Ukraine reshaped the global understanding of strategic
01:36neutrality, especially for smaller or non-aligned states like Malaysia?
01:41Unfortunately, it is not what we would like to see from this part of the world, definitely,
01:46because we are party to the conflict, not provoked, attacked by one of the nuclear superpowers,
01:56attacked by the Security Council members, so it breaks the whole system of international law.
02:01What role can ASEAN play in upholding international laws and conflict like the one in Ukraine, in European Union?
02:08As of now, there are a couple of statements by the ASEAN chairmanship.
02:12It seems to me it was the chairmanship of Cambodia in 2022, maybe 2023,
02:19condemning the aggression by Russian Federation.
02:23Where we can have the ASEAN to play a greater role is to become the new markets for Ukraine,
02:33because it's 600-plus million people, the most fast-growing markets, the most vibrant and dynamically
02:43developing societies. But this organization is quite loose, it's even not as structured yet
02:49as the European Union, but it's moving the same path.
02:53Malaysia has extended humanitarian aid to Ukraine, sending medical supplies and essential equipment.
02:59But compassion alone is not enough. Middle powers, like Malaysia, must also help
03:04uphold the international rules that shield the weaker countries from the mighty powers.
03:10If you had to send one message to the Malaysian public today, what would it be,
03:15what would you want them to understand? Weakness is temptation, so be strong.
03:19Anastasia Yushchenko, FMT
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