Indonesia Bridges Communication between Russia and Ukraine
Jokowi, who was accompanied by First Lady Iriana, arrived in Moscow at 11 a.m. local time. His meeting with Putin came a day after he had talked with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on his visit to Kyiv.
By
HARRY SUSILO AND KRIS MADA FROM UKRAINE
·5 minutes read
AFP/ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shake hands with Indonesia's President Joko Widodo after press conference at the Kremlin in Moscow on June 30, 2022.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has conveyed a message of peace to Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the Russia-Ukraine war, which is feared to trigger a worldwide food crisis.
KYIV, KOMPAS — As one of the bilateral-cooperation partners for both Russia and Ukraine, Indonesia has initiated an effort to bridge communication between the two warring countries. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo expressed his readiness to take up a peacemaking role during a press conference with his Russian counterpart in Moscow on Thursday (30/6/2022).
According to Jokowi, although the external situation is still difficult, it is nevertheless important to move toward a settlement and open dialogue. "I have conveyed President Zelensky's message to President Putin and extended my readiness to bridge communication between the two leaders," he said.
Jokowi, who was accompanied by First Lady Iriana, arrived in Moscow at 11 a.m. local time. His meeting with Putin came a day after he had talked with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on his visit to Kyiv. His entourage’s members included Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung.
During the press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Jokowi said the role initiated by Indonesia was part of the mandate of the Indonesian constitution, which was to committedly pursue a contribution to the creation of world peace. In the current context, Indonesia was looking to push for peace efforts and end the war.
Food crisis
Shedding light on the war’s adversity, Jokowi said that Putin had given his guarantee for the continuous supply of food crops and fertilizers, which is crucial to global food security.
Jokowi pointed out that if disrupted supply persisted, the adverse impact would be felt by hundreds of millions or even billions of people on Earth.
Without a continuous supply of wheat and fertilizers from both Ukraine and Russia, the global supply chain has been disrupted with serious implications for food security. Jokowi pointed out that if disrupted supply persisted, the adverse impact would be felt by hundreds of millions or even billions of people on Earth.
AFP/MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/SPUTNIK
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with Indonesia's President Joko Widodo at the Kremlin in Moscow on June 30, 2022.
He reiterated the urgency to ensure the availability of Russian fertilizers and Ukrainian wheat in order to stem the problem of global food supply. The United Nations estimates at least 22 million tons of Ukraine’s wheat ended up failing to be shipped out in May. And the forced held-up stock, as Zelensky recently revealed, could amount to over 75 million tons this fall.
"I invite all world leaders to revive the spirit of cooperation and multilateralism," Jokowi said.
Meanwhile, Putin said Moscow had never blocked grain exports from Ukraine. "We are not preventing Ukrainian grain exports. The Ukrainian military laid mines near their port. No one would prevent them from clearing them [mines]. We guarantee the safety of grain shipments from there," he said.
He said Russia sought to maintain its position as the world's largest wheat-exporting country, which currently accounts for about a fifth of global market.
He hailed his talks with Jokowi as “good and productive”. "I believe that the agreements reached today will further strengthen the Russian-Indonesian partnership," he said.
Regarding the crisis in Ukraine, Putin said that he would convey in detail what was happening in Ukraine, especially in the Donbas, as well as Russia's perspective on the issue.
Russia’s official website kremlin.ru, quotes Putin as saying that Indonesia is a friendly country, which with Russia has established diplomatic relations for decades.
Putin also mentions that trade with Indonesia increased 42 percent last year and has been growing even faster this year.
The two countries have close relations in various sectors, such as economy, politics, security and antiterrorism cooperation. Putin also mentions that trade with Indonesia increased 42 percent last year and has been growing even faster this year.
“I know Indonesia is interested in developing relations with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), and we decided in May to start the process of its rapprochement with this regional organization,” Putin said.
Hope growing
Apart from the meeting between Jokowi and Putin in Moscow, an ongoing development is growing hope for possible settlement of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, particularly the opening of the Ukrainian sea-trade route. After exchanging prisoners of war with Kyiv, Moscow withdrew troops from the Snake Island in the Black Sea. The withdrawal was announced by both Russia and Ukraine in a statement on Thursday.
AP/VADIM GHIRDA
A Ukrainian serviceman carries an NLAW anti-tank weapon during an exercise in the Joint Forces Operation, in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Feb. 15, 2022. As the U.S. and other NATO members warn of the potential for a devastating war, Russia is not countering with bombs or olive branches -- but with sarcasm.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said the troops withdrawal was a sign of Russia's goodwill. "This shows that the Russian Federation is not interfering with the United Nations' efforts to establish a humanitarian pathway for agricultural exports from Ukraine," he said.
Vadym Denysenko, an expert staff at the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, viewed the Russian withdrawal as “huge victory in the island's liberation”, given that Russia's control of shipping lanes in the Black Sea was reduced.
The island is located 144 kilometers southwest of Odesa Port, the only Ukrainian sea port free from Russian control.
Russia gained foothold of the Snake Island at the start of war on 24 Feb. The island is located 144 kilometers southwest of Odesa Port, the only Ukrainian sea port free from Russian control.
It is 265 km northwest of Sevastopol, a Ukrainian port that has been de facto under Russian control since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The occupation of Snake Island, in addition to Sevastopol, gave Russia more extensive territorial control over sea access to Odesa. (INA/AFP/REUTERS/JOS)
