US and Southeast Asian Nations Avoid Russia Condemnation
- Statement after ASEAN summit calls for cease-fire in Ukraine
- ASEAN nations don’t use word ‘Russia’ in joint statement
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A summit with Southeast Asian leaders organized and hosted by President Joe Biden concluded at the White House on Friday with a group statement that omitted any condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The nations participating in the summit, called the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN, issued a statement calling for the “immediate cessation of hostilities” in Ukraine. The countries said they “reaffirm our respect for sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity.”