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Prabowo strengthens US ties, but not without political cost
The US Department of Defense's joint statement from the Prabowo Subianto-Lloyd Austin meeting at the Pentagon recently underscores the cost of navigating a tense geopolitical rivalry.
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Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (left) walks with United States Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin (center) during the former's visit to Pentagon in Virginia, the United States on Aug. 24, 2023. (-/Instagram/@prabowo)
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ith Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto’s vision of a more military-capable Indonesia seemingly dovetailing with the United States’ eagerness to forge strong alliances across the Indo-Pacific, analysts are pointing to the inevitability of cozier defense relations, albeit not without some political costs.
In the midst of a sharpening rivalry between the US and China, pragmatism has become an apparent feature among major powers operating in the region. Experts say it can be found in Washington’s strategy, which three years ago saw Prabowo being allowed back into the country after being blacklisted for two decades.
Though both sides may choose to extol the potential of this renewed rapport, recent developments suggest that the US will not lend its support freely, with China already signaling an aversion following last week’s meeting between Prabowo and his US counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Last week, Prabowo flew to Arlington, Virginia to meet with Austin at the Pentagon, where the two sides strengthened their defense cooperation amid tense geopolitical dynamics.
The visit comes after the presumptive presidential candidate for the 2024 election signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Boeing Co. for the purchase of two dozen state-of-the-art F-15EX fighter jets, as well as another deal to procure 24 Sikorsky S-70M Black Hawk helicopters from defense contractor Lockheed Martin.
During his meeting with Austin, Prabowo’s Gerindra Party issued a press release stating that the two reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a strategic partnership by ensuring that they “capture every future opportunity and resolve challenges emerging from an ever-complicated geopolitical climate”.
Though now appearing cozy with the US, Prabowo was previously banned from entering the US for at least two decades under then-president Bill Clinton and the Barack Obama administration due to his link with past human rights abuses.
