Singapore doesn’t take sides, but has its own view and chooses ‘principles’: Teo Chee Hean

SINGAPORE: While Singapore does not take sides in its dealings, it has its own view and chooses “principles” said Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean on Friday (Oct 7).

Speaking during a fireside chat during FutureChina Global Forum, Mr Teo said that in doing so, Singapore becomes “consistent” and “reliable”.

“We have said that we don’t choose sides. But people sometimes misunderstand that by not choosing sides, we don’t have a view. That’s not true, we have a view, we choose principles … On any particular issue, we choose principles,” explained Mr Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security.

“The Russia-Ukraine war is one example where we acted on principle, not because we chose one side or another side. And sometimes when we choose a principle, and we act in that way, people get annoyed with us, or people praise us because they think that we either against them, or we are their best buds. But neither is true in the case of Singapore, it is because we choose principles.”

Mr Teo noted that Singapore has tried to do this consistently, regardless of issue.

COMING TO A “LANDING POINT”

During the hour-long session, Mr Teo also touched on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

He pointed out that there has “not been enough thinking” beyond the tactical issues of how the war is fought. 

“There’s a need to think about what the configuration will be like in Europe, with Russia, and in the world, at the end of the war … and of course, what are the interests of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people? If we start to think about that a little bit more … I think we will be able to better find a way of coming to a landing point in the war,” he said.

“I think there needs to be a little bit more strategic thinking about where we want to be. And then when we have a little bit more conceptual ideas of where one would want to see Europe, Ukraine’s place in Europe, Russia’s place in Europe, then it will be clearer to see where a landing point will be.”

At the same time, Mr Teo said he was “surprised” by the Ukrainians’ ability to halt the Russian advance and credited the Ukrainian people for their “fighting spirit”.

However, he pointed out that there was a period of 10 to 15 years where Russia under-invested or did not invest. As a result, the quality of their equipment, training, as well as mass of their armed forces declined.

“But I would say that in the last half a dozen years at least, maybe a little bit more, they’ve invested more in the armed forces, developed new weapons, upgraded their weapons. But in any armed forces, particularly one of that size, you can have a relatively sharp top of the pyramid and it will be quite good and quite effective,” he added.

“But when you start to employ a much larger proportion of the armed forces, then you get into that part of the armed forces … which may not have had the same level of re-equipping, training and leadership as the sharp end.”