KUALA LUMPUR — A top security aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as the Kremlin builds ties with Southeast Asian nations seeking to offset the risks of the growing competition between the United States and China.
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu met Anwar on Thursday in Putrajaya for talks on expected to have been focused on enhancing security and defence ties between the two nations. A formal readout of the discussions has not yet been released.
The former Russian defence minister earlier this week paid a visit to Indonesia where he met President Prabowo Subianto and likewise sought to boost security cooperation.
Malaysia and Indonesia, which count on the US as an important source for investment, have maintained relations with Russia despite calls from Washington and other leading democracies to punish Moscow for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago. That pressure has eased with the return of President Donald Trump, who in a stark reversal of policy from former President Joe Biden, has refused to blame Putin for the war.
In a sign of warming up to Moscow, Indonesia this year joined the Brics group of developing nations that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Malaysia, along with Thailand among others in the region, have also expressed interest in joining and were bestowed a preliminary "partner country" status.
While it is unclear whether Shoigu spoke about arms procurement with Anwar, Malaysia is looking to increase defence spending by 7% this year to about $5 billion as it seeks to build up its air force and air defences, according to specialist publication Janes.
Malaysia has been shifting to other suppliers for jet fighters as sanctions on the Kremlin have prevented the country from procuring the materials it needed to keep its Russian-made military planes flying, Defence News reported last year.
Shoigu served as Russia’s defence minister from 2012 to 2024, which included the first two years of the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In June of 2024, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Shoigu for suspected war crimes in Ukraine including crimes against humanity.
Shoigu also played a major role in Russia's arms deal with North Korea, which saw Pyongyang supply munitions and ballistic missiles in exchange for economic and military aid.
