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Indonesia caught in the middle of Russia-Ukraine struggle
Indonesia has found itself caught in a tug-of-war between Russian and Ukrainian diplomatic efforts that aim to control the public perception of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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People take part in a rally in front of the Ukrainian consulate to protest Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Denpasar on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on March 1. (AFP/Sonny Tumbelaka)
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ndonesia has found itself caught in the middle of a tense diplomatic struggle over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the two sides competing for support as Jakarta’s first crack at chairing the Group of 20 (G20) biggest economies is beset by calls to remove Moscow from the exclusive club.
A month ago, Russia deployed tens of thousands of troops into neighboring Ukraine in a so-called “special operation” that has sparked widespread condemnation and protests in many countries, including from Russians themselves.
And while Ukrainian forces continued to mount a stiff resistance, the aggression has resulted in what Ukrainian Ambassador to Indonesia Vasyl Hamianin called a “real humanitarian catastrophe” with thousands of civilians killed or injured in the span of just a few weeks.
Following a stalemate at the United Nations Security Council, where Moscow vetoed any attempt to deal it crippling sanctions, efforts by Western powers to punish Russia have spilled over into other international fora, putting Indonesia’s own plans for the G20 at stake.
Indonesia’s southern neighbor Australia has already expressed reluctance to attend the G20 summit, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison reportedly saying the idea of sitting at the table with Putin was “a step too far”.
The Russian leader previously attended the G20 summit hosted by Australia in Brisbane in 2014, after the Russian annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine.
