US did not try to pressure Asean nations to distance themselves from Russia at White House summit, official says | South China Morning Post

The US has not tried to persuade Asean countries to distance themselves from Russia over its invasion of Ukraine , a senior US official said on Tuesday during a briefing about the recently concluded US-Asean summit . A statement issued after the summit did not mention Russia or the invasion, but said "we continue to reaffirm our respect for sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity" and called for an "immediate cessation of hostilities" in Ukraine. Some Asean nations have been reticent to condemn Vladimir Putin's decision to start the war, while Indonesia, as host the Group of 20 summit later…