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Jokowi has been reluctant to speak frankly about the Ukraine war, partially to maintain good relations with Russia.
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I
ndonesia has made the right decision to join 140 other United Nations member states in condemning Russia for invading Ukraine and in demanding that Moscow withdraw its military forces from its sovereign neighbor’s territory. Although the emergency UN General Assembly resolution is nonbinding, it will put Russia under increased global diplomatic pressure to cease hostilities.
The resolution says the UN “deplores in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine”. It demands that “the Russian Federation immediately cease its use of force against Ukraine” and “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces”.
It was the 11th emergency meeting the General Assembly has held since 1950. According to UN official website, the 10th emergency special meeting was convened in April 1997 in response to Israel’s decision to construct new housing in Har Homa, East Jerusalem.
Of the body’s 193 member states, 141 voted in favor of the resolution, five – Belarus, Eritrea, North Korea, Syria and Russia – voted against, while China and 34 other members abstained.
Indonesia’s support for the resolution deserves credit, as the government had initially been hesitant to condemn the invasion, despite the 1945 Constitution’s stipulation that freedom and independence are the rights of all nations.
This hesitation was a reflection of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s pragmatic diplomacy. He has been reluctant to speak frankly about the Ukraine war, partially to maintain good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose attendance at the Group of 20 summit in Bali in October of this year is much anticipated.
“Stop the war. War brings misery to mankind and puts the world at risk,” the Jokowi tweeted on Feb. 24 in response to the invasion.
