Prabowo skips G7 summit to meet Putin in Russia
The President will go to Russia with a limited delegation at Putin's invitation, according to the Foreign Ministry, where the two leaders will engage in discussions on 'the latest global developments and issues of common concerns' to mark the 75th anniversary of Indonesia-Russia relations.
In a week packed with international economic and political engagements, Prabowo is slated to fly out of Jakarta on Monday (June 16) and to visit Singapore first. He is expected to start his two-day visit in Russia on Wednesday, where he will produce a high-level declaration as well as at least three memorandums of understanding (MoU) following a tête-à-tête with Putin, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Rolliansyah Soemirat said.
Prabowo will also attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg during his visit. The trip will mark Prabowo's first official visit to Singapore and Russia since taking office last October.
As his agenda in Russia kicks off on Wednesday, the President will not be attending the G7 Summit in Canada slated for Tuesday, to which he was invited by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier this week
Rolliansyah did not disclose which invitation had arrived first when asked by reporters. But he reassured that Prabowo had been planning to visit Russia since last 2024, and had already made a promise to visit Singapore prior to Carney's G7 invite. Not attending the G7 meeting, Rolliansyah underlined, is a consequence of the President 'staying true to himself in fulfilling prior commitments'.
'We cannot see the President and the foreign minister's activities only through the lens of attendances or representations, but also in how these activities can benefit a larger national interest,' the ministry spokesperson said.
The agreements to be signed with Russia will touch on cooperation on transportation, higher education and creative economy, although negotiations on other matters are still taking place.
Prabowo previously met with Putin in Moscow in July last year during his European tour a few months after being declared president-elect by the country's poll body.
At that time, Prabowo reaffirmed Russia's historical significance for Indonesia and pledged to strengthen the two countries' relationship once in office.
During the July 2024 meeting, Putin also emphasised that Indonesia is of interest to Russia, given its large population. The Russian president also promised to increase Moscow's agricultural exports and to bring energy, transportation and infrastructure projects to Indonesia.
Responding to Prabowo's Russian visit in July 2024, experts said the move was a signal against Western-oriented global leadership. The perception of Prabowo possibly having reservations against Western leadership further gained traction when he entered Indonesia into BRICS, the economic coalition founded by Russia and China with a strong counter-West reputation, less than six months after meeting Putin in Moscow.
Indonesia is not a member of the West-leaning G7 grouping, but has attended several of its summits as a guest when former president Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo was in office.
During the Jokowi administration, Indonesia attempted to maintain a balance in its relationship among competing global powers, including when it dismissed calls not to invite Russia to the Group of Twenty (G20) Summit in Bali in 2022.
As president, Prabowo has on various occasions emphasised his refusal to be led by any foreign power, frequently underlining the need for a fairer international system and a national interest-first approach to foreign policy.
The focus on Indonesia's national interests is also expected to be at the forefront of Prabowo's visit to Singapore. His discussion with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, according to the Foreign Ministry, will revolve around future strategic engagements focusing on the economy.
'Strategic cooperation will be discussed,' Rolliansyah said, 'and it will be done in the format of a retreat, in which leaders are typically more open to express their views and give their insights.'
Singapore has been Indonesia's largest source of foreign direct investment in the last decade. A total of US$20.1 billion was funnelled into the country last year, and US$4.6 billion was invested during the first quarter of 2025.
Monday's meeting will mark the first official meeting between the leaders. But Prabowo has met Wong several times, including during the latter's state visit to Jakarta in November for an 'introductory' meeting.
During the November meeting, both leaders reaffirmed the strong friendship between Indonesia and Singapore. Prabowo emphasised five priority areas for bilateral cooperation, including defence, food security and human capital development. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
20 minutes ago
- The Star
Ukraine protects Europe from Kremlin aggression, Russian dissident Yashin says
Ilya Yashin, a prominent Russian opposition politician in exile, speaks about Russia under Putin, in Belgrade, Serbia, August 1, 2025. REUTERS/Zorana Jevtic BELGRADE (Reuters) -Europe must start seeing Ukraine as a European country, and the Ukrainian military as a European army, Ilya Yashin, a prominent Russian opposition activist, said in Belgrade on Friday. "The Ukrainian army is not only protecting Ukraine, it is protecting Europe from Russian aggression," he told hundreds of Russians who now live in Serbia. Yashin was imprisoned in 2022 for criticising Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and released last year, alongwith 15 other prisoners in Russian and Belarusian jails. His speech at a Belgrade concert hallwas the firstsuch public appearance of a high-profile Russian dissident in Serbia since 2022. Between February 2022 and 2024, more than 74,000 Russians registered for temporary residence in Serbia, according to the latest Interior Ministry data, many fleeing conscription or persecution for their opposition to President Vladimir Putin. "This is a meeting with a true hero," said Petr Nikitin, a Belgrade-based Russian and an anti-war activist who came to hear Yashin. Serbia's relations with Moscow soured this year after Russia's SVR spy agency complained about sales of ammunition to Ukraine, and Yashin's visit would likely further complicate their ties. The Russian embassy to Serbia could not be immediately reached for comment. Serbia, which aspires to join the European Union, balances its policies between its historical ties to Russia and the West. Belgrade has repeatedly condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but has refused to join Western sanctions against Moscow. In May, President Aleksandar Vucic travelled to Moscow to meet with Putin and attend a parade marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in World War Two. ButBelgrade also recognises Ukraine in its entirety, including territories held by Russia. In June, Vucic visited Ukraine for the first time. Russia remainsSerbia's biggest gas supplier, and theBalkan country's only oil refinery is majority-owned by Gazprom and Gazprom Neft. (Aleksandar VasovicEditing by Rod Nickel)
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
4 European flagship airlines resume flights to Israel
JERUSALEM, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Three European national airlines resumed flights to Israel on Friday, joining Bulgaria Air, which restarted operations a day earlier. Flights operated by Germany's Lufthansa from Frankfurt and Munich, Austrian Airlines from Vienna, and LOT Polish Airlines from Warsaw landed at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv. The airlines suspended their services after the fighting between Israel and Iran in June, when the Israeli airspace was temporarily closed. This month, Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air, as well as Belgium's flag carrier Brussels Airlines are also expected to resume flights to Israel. On June 13, Israel launched major airstrikes on several areas in Iran, including nuclear and military sites, killing senior commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians. Iran responded with multiple waves of missile and drone attacks on Israel. Following 12 days of war, a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was achieved on June 24.
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
US, NATO developing novel funding mechanism for Ukraine weapons transfers
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States and NATO are working on a novel approach to supply Ukraine with weapons using funds from NATO countries to pay for the purchase or transfer of U.S. arms, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The renewed transatlantic cooperation on Ukraine comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed frustration with Moscow's ongoing attacks on its neighbor. Trump, who initially took a more conciliatory tone toward Russia as he tried to end the more than three-year war in Ukraine, has threatened to start imposing tariffs and other measures if Moscow shows no progress toward ending the conflict by August 8. The president said last month the U.S. would supply weapons to Ukraine, paid for by European allies, but did not indicate how this would be done. NATO countries, Ukraine, and the United States are developing a new mechanism that will focus on getting U.S. weapons to Ukraine from the Priority Ukraine Requirements List, known under the acronym PURL, the sources said. Ukraine would prioritize the weapons it needs intranches of roughly $500 million, and NATO allies - coordinated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte - would then negotiate among themselves who would donate or pay for items on the list. Through this approach, NATOallies hope to provide $10 billion in arms for Ukraine, said a European official, speaking on condition of anonymity. It was unclear over what timeframe they hope to supply the arms. "That is the starting point, and it's an ambitious target that we're working towards. We're currently on that trajectory. We support the ambition. We need that sort of volume," the European official said. NATO declined to comment. The White House, Pentagon, and Ukrainian embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment. Russian forces are gradually advancing against Ukraine, and control one-fifth of Ukraine's territory. FASTER ARMS RESTOCKING If a NATO country decides to donate weapons to Ukraine, the mechanism would allow that country to effectively bypass lengthy U.S. arms sales procedures to replenish its own stocks, said one U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity. But the NATO country would have to pay the U.S. up front for the speedier replenishment. The money would be paid into a U.S.-held account, possibly at the U.S. Treasury Department, or to an escrow fund, although the exact structure remains unclear, the official said. NATO countries also have the option of simply paying the United States to send weapons directly to Ukraine. In that case, the payment could be made via NATO or directly to the U.S. Department of Defense, said a second source, speaking on condition of anonymity. This would be in addition to the United States' own effort to identify arms from U.S. stockpiles to send to Ukraine under the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows the U.S. president to draw from current weapons stocks to help allies in an emergency. At least one tranche of weapons for Ukraine is currently being negotiatedunder the new mechanism, two sources said, though it was unclear if any money has yet been transferred. Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress have introduced legislation, known as the PEACE Act, that aims to create a fund at the U.S. Treasury in which allies can deposit money that would pay to replenish U.S. military equipment donated to Ukraine. Ukraine's needs remain consistent with previous months - air defenses, interceptors, systems, rockets, and artillery. The last statement of need from Ukraine came at the July 21 Ramstein conference led by EU allies, including Britain. (Reporting by Gram Slattery, Mike Stone, Phil Stewart in Washington; additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle in Washington and Andrew Gray in Brussels; editing by Michelle Nichols and Rod Nickel)
