Any risk of a nuclear war in Europe, which will not spare the Indo-Pacific of any radioactive fallout either, deserves the joint attention of President Macron and President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. Neither are mere members of the Group of 20, and just as the European Union has a seat in the G20, Indonesia has a seat in ASEAN.

The current ASEAN chair is Cambodia, headed by Prime Minister Hun Sen. But come next year, the ASEAN chair returns to Indonesia, where President Jokowi will be faced with the same question.

Any attempts to preach to Indonesia are considered overbearing, as in who they should invite or not invite to the G20 summit in November. To Indonesia, moderation is a virtue, even in a time of global tension.

By inviting Ukrainian President Vlodimir Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the summit, a path to cessation of hostilities may not be guaranteed, but becomes at least plausible.

Russia's economy is projected to contract 11.2 percent this year. Ukraine's gross domestic product (GDP) has taken a hit of US$100 billion a day. The price spirals they are causing in the whole world are but a teaser of worse things to come.

President Macron's responsibilities include reaching out to ensure a powerful Indo-Pacific actor, which is Indonesia, to help close the difference between Russia and Ukraine.