Skipping G7 for Putin, Indonesia’s Prabowo sparks Russia tilt concerns

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shakes hands with Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono during a joint press conference following their meeting in Moscow on June 17, 2025. — AFP pic

JAKARTA, June 17 — Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s decision to skip the G7 summit in favour of meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin is an attempt to broaden his alliances but raises fears of a tilt towards Moscow, analysts have said.

Ottawa had invited him to the G7 summit this week as a guest, a Canadian government source told AFP, however he instead accepted an invite to meet Russia’s leader in St Petersburg on a three-day visit that officially starts on Wednesday.

Prabowo’s office put it down to a schedule clash, but experts say the decision sends a signal to Western partners about the strategic direction of Southeast Asia’s biggest economy.

“It does raise some questions toward tilting to Russia. Geopolitical signalling and how Indonesia is perceived by others matters,” said Pieter Pandie, researcher at the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

“Indonesia should be aware that its foreign policy decisions may have regional and global consequences. At the very least Indonesia should’ve sent a representative.”

Others say the rejection was a demonstration of Prabowo’s aim to grow a global web of economic and military alliances, instead of relying solely on Western partners in the grouping of advanced economies.

“President Prabowo likely sees strategic advantage in strengthening defence and economic ties with Russia,” said Dedi Dinarto, lead Indonesia analyst at advisory firm Global Counsel.

“From Jakarta’s standpoint, the G7 Summit may offer fewer concrete returns.”

Web of alliances

Indonesian officials downplayed the G7 snub as a calendar clash, with Prabowo on a state visit to Singapore on Monday before travelling on to Russia.

“The view of Indonesia ‘choosing’ Russia and not choosing to go to the G7 is not right,” presidential spokesman Philips Vermonte told AFP Tuesday.

Jakarta walks the diplomatic tightrope between regional competitors Beijing and Washington.

After taking office in October, Prabowo made his first foreign visit to Chinese President Xi Jinping and later headed to Moscow, and has posted several videos of his phone calls with US President Donald Trump on social media.

He has sought to diversify Jakarta’s alliances — signing a security deal with Australia, visiting Gulf nations, stopping in Britain and hosting French President Emmanuel Macron.

Meanwhile he has developed closer ties with Russia, calling it a “great friend”, organising their first-ever joint naval drills on main island Java in November and hosting top security official Sergei Shoigu.

Jakarta and Moscow are in talks over military procurement, space collaboration and a potential free trade agreement with the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union bloc.

Indonesia also joined the 11-nation BRICS bloc of emerging economies earlier this year.

And while his predecessor Joko Widodo made a point to visit both Kyiv and Moscow, Prabowo has only paid attention to the Russian side of the three-year-long Ukraine war.

Analyst Dedi however said Prabowo was expected to maintain a non-aligned foreign policy.

“Going forward, we are likely to see a pragmatic pattern of engagement, driven less by ideology and more by where Indonesia sees clear benefit,” he said. — AFP