Asia's Ukraine Problem

Many Asian governments regard Russia's war with Ukraine as a distant event with limited impact on the region beyond raising food and energy prices. To the extent that they have considered the geopolitical implications of the war, they have largely focused on whether it increases the risk of China attacking Taiwan. But the war has strained the rule of law and is entrenching divisions along ideological lines, introducing unnecessary complexity into alliances and partnerships. It has also raised questions about the extent to which Europe will be able to play a meaningful role in the Indo-Pacific. Asian governments should be alert to these developments and their negative implications for regional peace and security. For them to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine and defend the rule of law would not be blindly supporting the West, and would be entirely consistent with their national interests. The West must also do its part to avoid worsening geopolitical fault lines. In particular, framing great-power competition as a battle between autocracies and democracies is unhelpful.