Andrew Bolt: The Russians are coming to help China’s dictatorship, and our military has its pants down

The last thing our government needed in this election campaign was proof that war was coming our way but a hostile Russian-Chinese alliance is gradually surrounding us.

Don’t believe them. Not Russia, not Indonesia and certainly not the Albanese government, now scrambling to tell you we’re not in danger from Russian war planes.

On Tuesday, the government freaked when Janes, the authoritative military intelligence website, said Russia had asked to station long-range aircraft at Indonesia’s Manuhua Air Force Base located in the province of Papua.

This was frightening. There’s no reason for Russia to want its air force there unless it’s to eventually help its ally China in war in our area – to, say, support its invasion of Taiwan, or even intimidate Australia.

No wonder our government panicked. The last thing it needed in this election campaign was proof that war was coming our way, just when it’s left our military so short of weaponry that former chief of army Peter Leahy complained this week that “there’s nothing left for bloody guns”.

Australia even had to ask New Zealand to monitor the three naval ships China sent in February to intimidate us, because both our two new supply vessels were broken, and our navy couldn’t refuel our own ships at sea.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles. Picture: Martin Ollman

But relax! Late on Tuesday, Defence Minister Richard Marles announced Indonesia’s Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin had told him “reports of the prospect of Russian aircraft operating from Indonesia are simply not true”.

Phew! Go to sleep then.

But wait. The Janes story hasn’t been denied at all. You are being spun to blind you to a growing danger that caught Marles, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong dangerously unaware.

What Janes actually reported was that Russia had formally asked Sjamsoeddin in February for permission for its aircraft “to be based at a facility in Indonesia’s easternmost province”.

It cited Indonesian government sources and documents it had seen.
It didn’t say Indonesia had agreed.

None of that has been denied by Indonesia, but Marles, Albanese and Wong on Wednesday didn’t want you to know that.

Marles, for instance, was asked on Channel 9 if Russia had indeed put the request to Indonesia, and refused to give a straight answer – that it had.

He waffled: “Well, I mean, Russia, we know Russia is active in the region. We know that they have conversations with people … And I’m not about to go through the details of this in the media.”

Albanese seemingly unaware of the hostile Russian-Chinese alliance gradually surrounding us. Picture: Martin Ollman

Albanese also refused to tell the truth when asked if there had been a Russian request: “I am saying I will act diplomatically with our friends in Indonesia”.

But had already Marles given the game away on Tuesday – that there had been a Russian request, saying: “At this point, Indonesia has not responded to this request”.

Now, though, the government is treating us like mugs. Russian request? What Russian request?

Here’s the truth the Albanese government is trying to hide.

Indonesia’s new president, retired general Prabowo Subianto, wants Indonesia to be much closer to Russia. Last year he flew to President Vladimir Putin, wanted for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. There he praised Russia for helping Indonesia, and invited Russia to a defence exhibition and naval parade in Indonesia.

Russia did even better, sending warships in November to train with Indonesia’s navy, and in February Sergei Shoigu, head of Russia’s security council, visited Jakarta, where he reportedly asked to house Russian military aircraft in Indonesia.

Indonesia has in the past let Russian long-range bombers land and refuel. Picture: Ted Aljibe

An Indonesian military spokesman said of that visit: “We hope that this military defence co-operation can be further strengthened”.

Sure, Indonesia will almost certainly rule out a permanent Russia air base, but it has in the past let Russian long-range bombers land and refuel.

Russia now wants more, and may yet get something from Indonesia’s president, who has already signed up to BRICS, a Chinese and Russian-dominated international group trying to supplant America’s economic leadership.

This is the real issue: A hostile Russian-Chinese alliance gradually surrounding us. With Albanese seemingly unaware and making our armed forces weaker.

But the big media angle on Wednesday was not that, but Opposition Leader Peter Dutton originally claiming the Russian request was a serious danger and “publicly announced by the president of Indonesia”.

Dutton had foolishly relied on one incorrect media report, but that was enough for Albanese, Marles and Wong to switch the story from their inaction to danger to Dutton’s misspeak.

Albanese thundered about Dutton’s “extraordinary overreach” in having “verballed the president of Indonesia”, and most of the media ran with the biffo. Bottom line: The Russians are coming to help China’s dictatorship, and here’s our military with its pants down.

Forget Labor’s spin.

We’re in danger.