Prabowo’s fifth meeting with Putin in two years, as EEF guest of honor in Vladivostok, shows Jakarta–Moscow ties rising. The author treats this as a test of Indonesian non-alignment: more Russia cooperation without looking like a break from the U.S., Japan, the EU and others.

Priority sectors named are energy, agriculture, fertilizers, minerals and infrastructure—turning signed deals into real trade and investment. Defense purchases from Russia can diversify supply but may strain other partners, so they need careful weighing.

Deepening Russia ties should stay pragmatic, produce tangible gains, respect Russia’s sanctions-era limits, reassure ASEAN, and sit alongside BRICS and Indo-Pacific roles. Success means converting flexibility into influence without joining a camp.

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto recently traveled to Vladivostok, Russia, to attend the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), held annually since 2015. President Putin had extended an invitation to Prabowo to serve as chief guest of honor, marking the fifth time within two years that the two heads of state have held a meeting. Their continually increasing frequency of dialogue gives substance to the rapidly developing Jakarta–Moscow relations. These ties are vital for both sides, as Indonesia pursues its quest for independent foreign policy while grappling to maintain its non-aligned stance amidst escalating rivalry between major global powers.

Indonesia’s relationship with Russia, be it economically or politically, has to be guided by the core challenge for President Prabowo, namely to ensure that even more cooperation with Russia does not have to result in the wrong perception that Indonesia is drifting away from traditional partners, the USA, Japan, the European Union, etc. Indonesia’s Russia policy is being put to the test, whether a non-aligned policy can also be transformed into effective strategic interest in a multipolar world. This is a........

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