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In what some experts see as mere image politics, Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited Kyiv and Moscow last week, becoming the first Asian leader to do so since the Russian invasion Ukraine in February.
Widodo, commonly known as Jokowi, visited Kyiv on June 29 and Moscow the next day to focus on the global food supply crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine.
“Indonesia wants the war to end as soon as possible and supply chains for food, fertilizer and energy need to be restored immediately, as it affects the lives of hundreds of millions if not billions of people,” Widodo reportedly said in Moscow.
Before he flew to Europe, he said his visit was “important not only for Indonesians, but also for other developing countries to prevent people in developing and low-income countries from falling into extreme poverty and hunger.”
Soaring food and fuel prices hit Southeast Asia
Before the war, Indonesia was the world’s second largest importer of Ukrainian wheat. It is also highly dependent on fertilizers and other agricultural products produced in Russia and Ukraine.
In Southeast Asia, Ukrainian war sends oil prices soaring and soaring inflation. It remains to be seen whether Widodo’s visit will address the soaring prices.
“Travels like this tend to be more symbolic than substance,” said Ben Brand, director of the Asia Pacific program at Chatham House and author of “The Contradictory Man: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Reshape Indonesia.” Say.
Widodo’s visit to Kyiv ahead of Moscow was interpreted by some as a subtle nod to Ukraine’s independence. But Brand told DW that by openly discussing a potential food supply crisis in Russia, Widodo had “covertly refuted Russia’s false claim” that the West was responsible for the food crisis.
What will happen at the G20 summit?
For some, however, Widodo’s unsuitable profile as a mediator is primarily for his domestic audience.
“Indonesians see Jokowi being praised and recognised on the international stage. This instills a strong sense of national pride as Jokowi is seen as embodying a stronger Indonesia,” said analyst at the Institute of Asia Studies at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Bridget Wales said.
As the fourth most populous country in the world, Indonesia played the role of No. 1 for equality in Southeast Asia until the 1990s. Since then, however, its leaders have turned to isolationism.
Even if Widodo might want to, he can’t sit still this year. Indonesia holds the rotating presidency of the G20 and is expected to be involved in global issues.
The G20 leaders summit in Bali in November could be a failure as Widodo ignores Western pressure to exclude Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and analysts believe Jakarta is betting on Putin and Zelenskyy attending the meeting virtually, which could be enough to prevent the U.S. and Europe from boycotting the summit if Putin shows up.
The embarrassing G20 summit will put additional pressure on Indonesia’s position in world affairs, especially as it takes over the rotating presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2023, around the same time as the G20 summit in Bali.
neutrality and non-alignment
With a tradition of neutrality and non-alignment, Indonesia has had to tread carefully in the Ukrainian war debate.
In March, Indonesia voted for a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and calling for the withdrawal of Russian troops. But it has refused to impose sanctions on Moscow or explicitly condemn Putin’s actions in Ukraine.
Brand said Jakarta has been more cautious in its unilateral and bilateral diplomatic statements.
“This reflects Indonesia’s relatively good relations with Ukraine and Russia prior to the invasion, its long tradition of non-alignment, and its wariness of being drawn into further conflicts when it faces so many challenges at home, ‘ he added.
The Bandung Conference held in Indonesia in 1955 was an important precursor to the creation of the Non-Aligned Movement, an alliance of neutral nations during the Cold War.
While Widodo has stuck to Indonesia’s historic policy of non-intervention, he has to tread carefully, as public opinion is clearly non-neutral on the Ukraine war, according to recent opinion polls.
“There is a large percentage of Indonesians who think the West is provoking war. The neutrality quells that view,” Wales said. “Most Indonesians don’t see the benefit of taking a stand in a war away from Indonesia,” she added.
Indonesia strongly supports ties with Russia
The recently released 2022 Democracy Perception Index, conducted by Berlin-based marketing firm Latana in partnership with the nonprofit Alliance for Democracy, asked respondents from 52 countries around the world if they thought their governments should cut ties with Russia due to the Moscow invasion. Economic ties Ukraine.
In Indonesia, the net approval rating for maintaining ties with Russia is close to 50%, the second highest out of 52 countries surveyed. Only the Chinese are more in favor of maintaining relations.
Interestingly, a larger percentage of Indonesians say they support economic ties with Russia despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, rather than saying they would support economic ties with China if Beijing tries to invade Taiwan.
Indonesian analyst Radityo Dharmaputra wrote that “a dominant factor in Indonesia’s discussions of Russia’s war with Ukraine centers on U.S. and Western hypocrisy.”
In an article published in March, he concluded, “More contempt for the West than wholehearted support for Russia’s actions.”
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