Prabowo Subianto calls Donald Trump, snubs G7

Prabowo Subianto has had a talk with Donald Trump before the Indonesian President heads to Russia next week to meet Vladimir Putin in an apparent snub to the G7 Summit in Canada.

Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto gestures as he speaks during the commemoration of Pancasila Day on June 2. Picture: AFP

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Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has had talks with US President Donald Trump as he heads to Russia next week to meet Vladimir Putin in an apparent snub to an invitation to attend G7 Summit in Canada.

On Friday, Prabowo posted on Instagram that he had received a phone call from Mr Trump, but shared no specifics.

According to Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, the two leaders exchanged pleasantries and updates on developments in their respective countries. Mr Prabowo congratulated Mr Trump on his re-election, while Mr Trump returned the gesture following Mr Prabowo’s election as Indonesia’s eighth president.

“As leaders of two major nations, both agreed to enhance co-operation between Indonesia and the United States, and reaffirmed their support for efforts to maintain global stability and peace,” said the Cabinet Secretary.

Indonesia is one of the countries hit by Mr Trump’s recent trade policy, with tariffs reaching up to 32 per cent, on top of the standard 10 per cent base rate. Mr Prabowo dispatched a delegation led by Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto to negotiate with US officials in April.

Foreign Minister Sugiono confirmed that Mr Prabowo had been seeking a meeting with Mr Trump since January, but scheduling conflicts due to tariff talks have delayed it. The two leaders last spoke by phone in November 2024.

Despite accepting an earlier invitation to the G7 outreach session on June 17 from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Mr Prabowo will not attend the summit of the advanced economies. Instead, he will travel to Singapore on June 16 for a bilateral retreat, before heading to Russia from June 18–20 to attend the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

There, he is scheduled to deliver a speech alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and sign co-operation agreements in sectors including transport, shipbuilding, higher education, the creative economy, and technology.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Rolliansyah Soemirat confirmed that the Russia trip was in response to a direct invitation from President Putin from earlier this year. “Due to overlapping commitments, including meetings in Singapore and Russia, the President will be unable to attend the G7 summit,” he said.