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Global attention, care needed as no wars are isolated
The most distinctive aspect of diplomacy these days is that it is in crisis.
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Finding their freedom: Ukrainian citizens are wrapped in their national flag as they return from Russian captivity during an exchange of prisoners of war, at an undisclosed location in Ukraine, in this handout photograph published on the official Telegram channel of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Igor Klymenko, on Feb. 5, 2025. (AFP/Official Telegram channel of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Igor Klymenko)
I
t has been over three years since Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, with no end soon in sight. The war has not only caused massive death tolls on both sides, but has also affected countless people across the globe as geopolitical instability, rising prices and distrust cast a dark pall on world peace. Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Hamyanin, whose posting in Jakarta ends next week, sat with The Jakarta Post’s Yvette Tanamal to share his experience in being a diplomat during a time or war.
The following are excerpts from the interview.
Question: How has Russia’s war in Ukraine affected your diplomacy in Indonesia?
Answer: I arrived in Jakarta in October 2021, just a few months before the Big Aggression.
At the time we were paying attention to our developing relations with Indonesia, among others, through military cooperation. There was other practical cooperation too, covering education, cybersecurity, joint missions against corruption and drugs, and many others.
I was looking forward, and confidently, to this. It was an exciting time: Indonesia was holding the G20 presidency and the ASEAN chairmanship the following year. Signing the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation opened a new perspective for us. Expectations were huge, the plans were major.
Then the war started and everything changed overnight. Russians did not only destroy Ukrainian territory, but plans of Ukrainian diplomacy. After the war, we concentrated mostly on countering disinformation and engaging with Indonesian politicians to try to raise their awareness in Indonesia.
