Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto skipped a G7 summit last month to visit Russia, where he and his counterpart, Vladimir Putin, agreed that bilateral ties are "getting stronger again."

"My meeting with President Putin today was intense, warm and productive. In all fields of economics, technical cooperation, trade, investment, and agriculture, they all have experienced significant improvements," Prabowo's office said in a statement after the visit.

Officially part of the 75th anniversary of Indonesia–Russia diplomatic ties, Prabowo's three-day visit last month meant he missed a chance to meet US President Donald Trump for the first time at the G7 summit in Canada.

Standing next to Putin, Prabowo said Indonesia would not follow the philosophies of "the biggest and most powerful power in the world" and described Russia and China as without "double standards" and as defenders of "the downtrodden and the oppressed."

Prabowo's trip came a month after Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's latest visit to Russia, his third in two years.

Although Indonesia and Malaysia did initially condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, they have typically taken a neutral position on the ongoing war. Beginning early 2024, their public statements have also become noticeably more pro-Moscow.

During his trip to Vladivostok in September last year, Anwar praised Putin for his "vision and leadership" and for his "determination…to survive," presumably referring to Western sanctions.

He also championed Moscow for its "remarkable soft power" that........

© Deutsche Welle