Welcome to Foreign Policy’s Southeast Asia Brief.

The highlights this week: Indonesia’s president visits Moscow even as he signs a U.S. defense agreement, Vietnam’s To Lam consolidates power, and a survey shows Southeast Asian leaders would pick China over the United States, if forced to choose.

Welcome to Foreign Policy’s Southeast Asia Brief.

The highlights this week: Indonesia’s president visits Moscow even as he signs a U.S. defense agreement, Vietnam’s To Lam consolidates power, and a survey shows Southeast Asian leaders would pick China over the United States, if forced to choose.

Prabowo Is Rowing Between Two Reefs

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday. According to readouts, the two presidents agreed to increase cooperation on energy and economic issues.

Few details beyond this have been forthcoming. However, Indonesian Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said discussions included “long-term cooperation” in the oil and gas industries.

Indonesia is also looking at purchasing Russian oil to make up for disrupted supplies from the Middle East, according to a statement from Russia’s energy minister.

In a short speech, Prabowo said that he “came to consult because the global geopolitical situation is experiencing very rapid development and changes. We view Russia as having played a very positive role in navigating this uncertain geopolitical climate.”

The very same day, Indonesia and the United States announced a new defense cooperation agreement.

The agreement focuses on military modernization and capacity-building, military training and education, and exercises.

The two countries are discussing an agreement that would let U.S. military aircraft freely access Indonesian airspace.

In some ways this is classic Indonesia. Since independence, its foreign-policy philosophy has been “rowing between two reefs,” or avoiding aligning with any one power.

However, this mix of summitry and security diplomacy is also distinctly Prabowo. Since his election in 2024, the Indonesian president has been on a mission to increase Indonesia’s international profile.

To this end he has made frequent trips abroad to meet with other national leaders, often calling for diplomacy and peace.

Prabowo has also overseen Indonesia joining both BRICS and U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, as well as volunteering Indonesian peacekeepers for Gaza.........

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