Prabowo Visits Putin, Discusses New Directions in Global Geopolitics

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto undertook a working visit to Russia and met with Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow on Monday (13/4/2026). The meeting took place amid rapidly changing global geopolitical dynamics. During the meeting, Prabowo stated that one of the aims of his visit was to consult on the development of the world’s situation, which is full of uncertainties. He considered it important for Indonesia to discuss directly with Russia as one of the major global actors. Prabowo also appreciated Russia’s role in maintaining stability amid international geopolitical dynamics. According to him, Russia’s contributions are viewed positively in facing various current global challenges. In addition to geopolitical issues, Prabowo emphasised the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly in the economic and energy sectors. He hoped that relations between the two countries could continue to be enhanced through various strategic collaboration opportunities. On that occasion, Prabowo also extended congratulations to Russia on commemorating Easter Day and Cosmonaut Day on 12 April. He also mentioned Russia’s great influence in the world, including in the space field, which even inspired the naming of children in Indonesia such as Yuri Gagarin. Meanwhile, Putin welcomed the meeting and expressed his pleasure over the ongoing communication between the two countries. He assessed that Indonesia-Russia relations have increasingly strong strategic significance in recent times. Putin revealed that cooperation between the two countries continues to develop, especially in the economic and trade fields. He noted that bilateral trade increased by 12.5 percent last year, although it experienced a slowdown at the beginning of this year. Furthermore, Putin emphasised the potential for cooperation in various sectors such as energy, space, agriculture, industry, and pharmaceuticals, as well as education. He also highlighted Indonesia’s full membership in BRICS as a new opportunity to expand strategic partnerships between the two countries.