"THE RUSSIA -UKRAINE CONFLICT & MALAYSIA."

WHEN the Russo-Ukrainian crisis began heating up in 2014, nobody in Malaysia ever thought it would touch us - after all, we were far removed from the tension both geographically and diplomatically.

But then the inconceivable happened. Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down by a Russian-made Buk missile as it was passing over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, claiming the lives of 283 passengers, including 80 children, and 15 crew members.

No one could have predicted a disaster like MH17, but it shows how a conflict raging in one part of the world can still shake places and people that appear totally detached from it.

Today, tensions are heightening once more, with analysts warning of the possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, a situation further complicated by the possibility of other major powers and allies getting involved. At the moment, diplomatic talks are underway between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Western leaders to de-escalate a situation that has been described as the most intense security crisis since the Cold War of the 1950s and 1960s.

Is this conflict likely to be resolved any time soon, and will it have an impact here in the Asean region?

Source: The edge market.

"Is this conflict likely to be resolved any time soon, and will it have an impact here in the Asean region?" Discuss your opinion. (10 marks)