I’ll take Ukraine’s message to Putin, pledges Jokowi

Joko Widodo has told Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that he will carry his messages to Moscow where he is set to meet Vladimir Putin.

Jokowi and Iriana, centre, tour the devastation in the commuter suburb of Irpin on Wednesday. Picture: AFP

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has told Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that he will carry his messages to Moscow where he is set to meet Vladimir Putin.

Jokowi was in Kyiv on Wednesday for a 10-hour visit to Ukraine’s capital before he returned to Poland and flew to Moscow on Thursday.

As the first Asian leader to visit Ukraine since the war, he saw first hand the destruction of residential buildings and infrastructure around the capital. Jokowi and first lady Iriana met victims of the war at the Ukrainian Centre of Endocrine Surgery, where they also handed over medical aid.

During his meeting with Mr Zelensky at the Maryinsky Palace, Jokowi reiterated Indonesia’s respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and hopes for a ceasefire. “In this regard, I offer to carry a message from President Zelensky for President Putin who I will visit soon,” he said.

He pledged Indonesia’s help in reconstruction, specifically to help fund the rebuilding of hospitals around Kyiv.

He added that, given Ukraine’s strategic role in the world food supply chain, all efforts must be made so it can resume exports.

“It is important for all parties to provide security guarantees for the swift export of Ukrainian food, including through sea ports. I support the UN’s efforts in this regard,” he said.

Ukraine contributes 42 per cent of the sunflower oil traded on the global market, 16 per cent of the maize and 9 per cent of the wheat. The complete halt in Ukrainian exports due to Russia’s blockade of its Black Sea ports has sent world commodity prices spiralling and put millions around the world at risk of starvation.

Mr Zelensky stressed that Russia had blocked the supply of food from Ukraine as a means to blackmail the world with hunger. “Tens of millions of tonnes of grain from Ukraine should reach consumers, in particular the people of Indonesia,” he said. Jokowi and Mr Zelensky also announced a visa-free regime between their countries.

As the host of this year’s G20 summit, Jokowi formally invited Mr Zelensky to participate in the meeting, to be held in November in Bali.

Mr Zelensky said he accepted the invitation, while quickly adding that “Ukraine’s participation will depend on the security situation in the country and on the composition of participants”.

As the leader of a non-aligned country, Jokowi has made it clear that he is inviting Mr Putin as a member of the G20, despite pressure from Western states not to.

Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said Indonesia had invited the Russian President and the Kremlin has confirmed Mr Putin’s participation, but whether he would go to Bali or attend virtually was to be discussed during Jokowi’s visit on Thursday.