Insight: Asia In Times Of Conflict
Esquire Singapore|May/June 2022
As Ukraine continues to fight for sovereignty against a determined Russia and trepidations of a possible World War III loom, new questions arise. What role does Singapore, and more widely Asia, have in influencing the state of global affairs today? How much, if anything, can we contribute to the political landscape? How will the events unfolding in Europe penetrate through to impact the East? Why do some wars get treated as frontline news, whereas others seem to come and go from the headlines? Celebrated author, academic and multi-award-winning geopolitical expert Dr. Parag Khanna answers.
Rahat Kapur.
Insight: Asia In Times Of Conflict

Parag, to start with-could you help set the context of what's occurring in the world today? Is the war in Ukraine really that unprecedented or has it been a long time coming?

It's a great question. The immediate term that comes to mind when we think of how this has come about is 'frozen conflict'. Very often, we use this term to describe events like these; it could be Palestine or the South China Sea or other such political hotspots-because they haven't exactly blown up recently, or they're not blowing up in the news every day. We treat them as dormant. My attitude has always been that these frozen conflicts need to be aggressively tamed and resolved, because otherwise they remain powder kegs. That would be the logic I would apply to this; because clearly what you have here is a dilemma where it only takes one side to be unreasonable for the whole situation to be explosive.

So in a way, this conflict has remained unresolved for an extended period of time, and essentially it's now come to a boiling point?

Exactly. For Putin-whether we're talking about the Eastern provinces, Crimea or Ukraine's relations with the West-all three things remain unresolved. They've been unresolved for about the last 20 years, quite frankly. That is as far as Putin is concerned. Essentially, what that comes down to is that this is one of those frozen conflicts we should have been much more aggressively seeking to resolve to begin with.

Are you surprised by the way things are panning out with the war as it stands?

This story is from the May/June 2022 edition of Esquire Singapore.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the May/June 2022 edition of Esquire Singapore.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM ESQUIRE SINGAPOREView All
THE MILD HANGOVER
Esquire Singapore

THE MILD HANGOVER

Hangovers get a bad rap. We know. If you’ve gotten this far in the magazine, you’ve surely divined that we’re mildly hungover most of the time.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2022
AN ELECTRIC FUTURE
Esquire Singapore

AN ELECTRIC FUTURE

Polestar, the minimalist electric Swedish car brand, turns the voltage up on its competition.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2022
LET'S GET REAL (ESTATE): LUXURIOUS LONDON
Esquire Singapore

LET'S GET REAL (ESTATE): LUXURIOUS LONDON

Royalty, shopping, the best tea and scones the world has to offer, and a lifestyle worthy of what you're working for. Here's why London is ripe for your next investment

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2022
NEXT UP....ZARAN VACHHA
Esquire Singapore

NEXT UP....ZARAN VACHHA

As Co-founder of the events and talent agency Collective Minds and Managing Director of the Mandala Masters, Zaran Vachha is definitely not new to the culture scene, but he's certainly shaping what comes next.

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2022
WHAT I'VE LEARNED...
Esquire Singapore

WHAT I'VE LEARNED...

I DON’T WEAR SOCKS except in January.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2022
The Body Is a Language
Esquire Singapore

The Body Is a Language

A bad handshake is such a turnoff; we feel irked when someone rolls their eyes at us; we can't stop pacing when we're nervous-ever wondered how certain body language has the power to change how we feel instantly? We explore why.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2022
EYE OF THE TIGER
Esquire Singapore

EYE OF THE TIGER

Hailing from Singapore, Japan and Brazil respectively, Evolve Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athletes Darren Goh, Hiroki Akimoto and Alex Silva are proof that the ring demands as much from mind as it does from matter.

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2022
THE ADONIS COMPLEX
Esquire Singapore

THE ADONIS COMPLEX

With the rise of superhero culture making a return and bringing with it the celebration of the classically ‘masculine’ body type, can men really overcome the pressure to conform when culture keeps getting in the way?

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2022
FUNNY BUT TRUE
Esquire Singapore

FUNNY BUT TRUE

A comedian, an iconic Singaporean, and now a man much evolved. After overcoming two years of pandemic limbo, unlocking career milestones one after another and undergoing a life-defining physical transformation, Rishi Budhrani is ready to emerge into the world renewed-and anew.

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2022
LIKE NO OTHER
Esquire Singapore

LIKE NO OTHER

With its horological triumphs, Hermès has truly come into its own as a watchmaking maison. In this exclusive interview with Esquire Singapore, CEO of Hermès Horloger, Laurent Dordet sheds some light on his timepieces' rising stardom and the importance of being different.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2022