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Jokowi sets off to Europe on Russia-Ukraine peace mission
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Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) meets with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at the Bocharov Ruchei state residence in Sochi, Russia, on May 18, 2016. (AFP/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has left for Europe on a peace-building mission, where he is expected to meet with his Ukrainian and Russian counterparts in an effort to broker peace talks between the warring countries, following a visit to Germany to attend the Group of Seven summit.
Speaking before his departure on Sunday, Jokowi said he would visit Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and seek an end to the Russo-Ukrainian war, which has caused global food shortages and surges in commodity prices.
“[The mission is to] to build peace, because the war must be stopped and [its effects] on the food supply chain must be lifted,” Jokowi said.
Indonesia, along with numerous other countries, has condemned the war, but it did not accede to calls from other Group of 20 member states to use its power as this year’s group president to bar Russia from attending the G20 Summit in Bali later this year. Jokowi instead invited both Russian and Ukrainian leaders to join the summit.
From Ukraine, Jokowi will travel to Moscow for a similar meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Once again, with the same mission, I will invite President Putin to open a dialogue and, as soon as possible, to carry out a ceasefire and stop the war,” Jokowi said.
Jokowi’s Europe trip will start in Germany, where he is set to attend a meeting of the G7 countries in the Bavarian Alps from June 26 to 28 at the invitation of the host country. He will be accompanied by First Lady Iriana.
