Putin wraps up talks with Indonesian president — Kremlin

Overview

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to the Kremlin on Monday for talks covering bilateral strategic partnership, energy cooperation, and international issues. The meeting comes as Prabowo faces domestic scrutiny over his frequent overseas travel, with critics questioning the value of his diplomacy amid rising fuel costs at home.

The Moscow Meeting

According to TASS, Russia's state news agency, Putin and Prabowo discussed the current state and future prospects of the Russian-Indonesian strategic partnership, as well as pressing international and regional issues. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the talks concluded after what appeared to be a warm exchange, with Putin personally seeing Prabowo off to his car.

Putin, opening the talks, emphasized the economic dimension of the relationship, noting that trade turnover between the two countries grew by 12.5% in 2025. He acknowledged some adjustments in early 2026 but expressed hope that Prabowo's visit would help find solutions to maintain growth. He also highlighted energy, space, agriculture, industrial cooperation, and pharmaceuticals as the most promising areas of bilateral cooperation, along with humanitarian ties in culture and education. Putin further noted that Indonesia's full membership in BRICS, which it joined last year, provides additional opportunities for cooperation.

Ahead of the meeting, Indonesian Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia expressed Jakarta's interest in importing Russian oil to secure fuel supplies amid global market instability tied to Middle East tensions. Russia's embassy in Jakarta told TASS that Moscow is ready to consider a possible request from Indonesia regarding oil supplies. Prabowo's visit to Moscow followed a similar trip in December 2025, during which Putin pledged to visit Indonesia in 2026 or 2027 and praised bilateral military-technical cooperation.

The Europe Leg

After Moscow, Prabowo traveled to Paris, where he met French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday. According to an Indonesian government statement reported by RFI, the two leaders discussed strengthening strategic cooperation, with an emphasis on defence equipment procurement and defence industry cooperation. Indonesia and France also agreed to collaborate on energy transition and renewable energy development. The French presidency, as cited by other outlets, characterized the meeting as focused on defence procurement and energy transition cooperation.

This visit to France came just days after Indonesia signed a major defence partnership with the United States, according to RFI. Prabowo's foreign travels also recently included South Korea and Japan.

Domestic Scrutiny

Prabowo's travel schedule has attracted attention at home, as reported by the South China Morning Post. Since his inauguration on October 20, 2024, Prabowo has visited 28 countries, attending bilateral meetings and multilateral forums such as BRICS summits and the United Nations General Assembly. Including his recent trips to Russia and France, he has spent at least 99 days overseas, with Malaysia being his most frequent destination (five trips), followed by the UAE (four), and Egypt, France, Russia, Britain, and the United States (three each).

Critics question the timing and value of these travels, especially as Indonesians face government appeals to curb fuel use. Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya defended the trips, saying Prabowo's diplomacy is necessary to secure energy supplies: "Brothers and sisters, it's to secure oil, I have to go everywhere," he told the cabinet. Indonesia has come under pressure from rising global oil prices linked to the Middle East conflict.

Diplomatic Posture

Indonesia maintains a non-aligned diplomatic posture, according to government statements cited by RFI, even after joining BRICS, which includes Russia and China. Jakarta has also signed a trade deal with the United States and Prabowo joined US President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace," while insisting Indonesia would not pay the reported €1 billion joining fee for permanent membership in that initiative.

French President Emmanuel Macron, in a statement on social media, described the Paris talks as covering "major global challenges" and "reinforcing Indonesia's strategic autonomy"—a term Macron has used in the context of Europe. He also highlighted the need for "shared solutions" on climate and development, though specific commitments were not announced.