KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 15 -- When bombs fall on Kyiv or Kharkiv, Southeast Asia may seem distant - geographically insulated, politically cautious, and economically preoccupied with its own recovery. Yet, the war in Ukraine is not merely a European tragedy; it is a global stress test of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the credibility of international law. Asean cannot afford to treat it as a peripheral issue.

A distant war with direct consequences

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, global supply chains have been repeatedly disrupted. Fertiliser shortages have affected Indonesian and Malaysian palm oil yields. Rising wheat prices have strained food security in the Philippines and Vietnam. Energy costs have...