ASEAN, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the politics of pragmatism.

This article analyzes the muted and pragmatic responses of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member governments to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, using practice theory to explain their foreign policy behavior. It argues that ASEAN's diplomatic elites, shaped by historical experiences and a culture of pragmatism, prioritize national sovereignty, flexible adaptation, and non-confrontation with great powers over ideological or normative commitments, resulting in cautious and varied positions at national, regional, and multilateral levels. While Singapore strongly condemned Russia's actions, other ASEAN countries exhibited more neutral or hedging stances, reflecting long-standing strategies to maintain autonomy amid geopolitical tensions. The article concludes that Western efforts to frame the conflict in ideological terms have limited influence on ASEAN, which remains committed to a rule-based international order emphasizing sovereignty and peaceful dispute resolution but resists binary narratives of democracy versus autocracy.