With the bilateral conflict and military aggression happening between Russia and Ukraine, we can’t help but wonder, where does Indonesia stand in this?

Indonesia and Ukraine have been in a long-running diplomatic relationship with each other. Promptly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Indonesia recognize Ukraine as a sovereign country on December 28th, 1991.

In Moscow on June 6th, 1992, the two countries signed the joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations. Two years after the signing, Indonesia established its embassy in Kyiv, and shortly after, Ukraine followed by opening its embassy in Jakarta in 1996.

Partnership between Indonesia and Ukraine
On February 15th, 2022, Erna Herlina, the acting Social and Cultural Affairs Functional Officer at the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Kyiv, Ukraine, said the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Ukraine will remain unaffected by the escalating tensions in Ukraine and the Russian border.

She said that this year, Indonesia already planned to commemorate the 30 years of bilateral partnership with Ukraine.

According to the data from Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), Indonesia has had a multitude of investments that are spread across numerous industries such as pharmacy, information technology, and marketing. Ukraine, on the other hand, has invested in 55 projects in Indonesia in 2021, which translates to the value of US$1.13 million.

Herlina added that data from the Trade Ministry show that bilateral trade with Ukraine in 2021 alone had amounted to US$1.46 billion. That number is a growth of 22.83 percent as compared to 2020 and the trade value has exceeded the total value prior to the pandemic. According to Herlina, Indonesia’s largest export is palm oil, whereas, for Ukraine, it is wheat.

Long history of mutual support
The aforementioned facts, however, took place before Russia decided to launch the full-scale invasion. But Indonesia’s stand on the matter can be discerned from the Twitter account of the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo.

Rivalitas dan ketegangan di Ukraina harus dihentikan sesegera mungkin. Semua pihak yang terlibat harus menahan diri dan kita semua harus berkontribusi pada perdamaian. Perang tidak boleh terjadi.

— Joko Widodo (@jokowi) February 21, 2022

On February 21st, Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, tweeted “Rivalry and tensions in Ukraine need to be stopped as soon as possible. All involved parties must be able to restrain themselves and we all must contribute to peace. War must not happen.”

Stop the war. War brings misery to mankind and puts the whole world at risk.

— Joko Widodo (@jokowi) February 24, 2022

On February 24th, 2022, the day Putin decided to march Russian troops into Ukraine, Jokowi also tweeted “Stop the war. War brings misery to mankind and puts the whole world at risk.”

The two countries have had a history of mutual support. When Indonesia needed the United Nations Security Council to recognize its independence, it was Ukraine’s delegation to the United Nations that supported Indonesia and put the issue on the agenda.

In 2014, when Ukraine was faced with external military aggression in the Crimean Peninsula and the Donbass Region, Indonesia stood among the first South-East Asian Nations to declare firm support for Ukraine.