World Order Frays as Nations Shift Into Survival Mode, Indonesia Warns

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Indonesia’s foreign minister, Sugiono, warns on Wednesday, Jan 14, 2026 in Jakarta that the global order enters a fragile phase as nations retreat into survival mode, eroding collective security and weakening international rules with consequences for global stability.

Speaking at the Annual Press Statement of the Foreign Minister, Sugiono says narrow national interests increasingly override shared security, accelerating distrust and fragmentation across the international system.

“Starting 2026, we are reminded again of how fragile the world order has become,” Sugiono says. “Narrow national interests are defeating collective security.”

He says international law, long viewed as a stabilizing guardrail, is now selectively applied, undermining its legitimacy and credibility.

“When rules agreed by all are violated without consequences, what collapses is not just one rule, but trust in the rules and the order itself,” he says.

Sugiono argues that global governance institutions, originally designed to manage crises, are increasingly unable to keep pace with geopolitical realities. Several key states, he says, have withdrawn from their responsibilities, leaving smaller and middle powers exposed.

“History repeats itself, causing many countries to enter their own survival mode,” he says.

He draws a parallel with the collapse of the League of Nations in 1946, which failed to prevent World War II, warning that the world is again drifting toward sharper competition and deeper fragmentation.

This shift, he adds, is marked by complex economic interdependence and the rising influence of non-state actors, blurring traditional lines of power and accountability.

Sugiono describes today’s environment as a multiplex world order, where overlapping interests, dominant actors, and increasingly transactional cooperation define global interactions.

“We are living in a dangerous gray zone,” he says. “The line between peace and war is no longer clear, leaving no margin for misreading the situation.”

Sugiono’s remarks was his first public articulation of Indonesia’s view of global instability after the United States launched a military action in Venezuela, a moment that tested how far Jakarta was prepared to go in responding to the actions of major powers.

In an earlier statement underscoring Jakarta’s cautious diplomacy, the Foreign Ministry issued its first response just days after the incident in Venezuela, stopping short of naming or criticizing Washington.

On Monday, Jan 5, 2026, the Foreign Ministry said it was “closely monitoring developments” and urged all parties to comply with international law, particularly the protection of civilians, while warning that the use or threat of force risked setting “a dangerous precedent” in global affairs.

Without singling out the United States under President Donald Trump or the government of Nicolas Maduro, Jakarta called for restraint and dialogue, reflecting what officials described as an increasingly blurred and volatile international environment where miscalculation could quickly escalate.