As President Meets Putin, Defence Minister Meets US Secretary of War

A unique moment occurred in the Indonesian Republic’s government. While Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visited Moscow, Russia, on Monday (13/4/2026), Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin undertook a trip to the Pentagon.

Prabowo is scheduled to be received by President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin at the Kremlin Palace. Meanwhile, Sjafrie is set to meet US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The schedules for Prabowo and Sjafrie to be received by their hosts are the same, namely on Monday.

“Secretary of War Pete Hegseth will host a more elaborate welcoming and honours event to receive Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin at the Pentagon on Monday, 13 April, at 10.15 a.m. at the River Entrance steps,” stated the official announcement from the US Department of War, as quoted by Republika in Jakarta on Monday.

Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary Lieutenant Colonel Infantry Teddy Indra Wijaya explained that RI 1’s agenda in Russia is to meet President Putin. Prabowo departed for Moscow from Base Ops Lanud Halim Perdanakusuma, East Jakarta, on Sunday (12/4/2026) evening WIB.

According to Teddy, the flight to Moscow takes approximately 12 hours non-stop using the national carrier Garuda Indonesia. He stated that Prabowo is expected to arrive in Moscow on Monday morning local time. “President Prabowo is scheduled to hold a one-on-one meeting with President Vladimir Putin in the afternoon,” he clarified.

Teddy explained that the meeting between the two leaders holds significant meaning amid the dynamic changes in the global landscape. “Amid the continuously changing global dynamics, this meeting is highly crucial,” he said.