Indonesia proposes demilitarized zone in Ukraine

Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto has proposed the establishment of a demilitarized zone in Ukraine. Indonesia also supports the inclusion of UN peacekeepers in the ceasefire and agreed to provide units for the mission.

Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto has called for peace talks on Ukraine at the Shangri-La Dialogue Asian Security Forum, proposing a demilitarized zone in Ukraine. His speech was broadcast on the Forum's website. Subianto explained:

"The first is a ceasefire. ... The second is the withdrawal of forces 15 kilometers from their positions to create a new demilitarized zone."

The Indonesian defense chief also spoke in favor of the creation and deployment of a UN peacekeeping force in the zone, stating that Indonesia is ready to participate in such a mission. Subianto said:

"I call on Russia and Ukraine for an immediate cessation of hostilities. Indonesia is ready to provide units for a possible UN peacekeeping mission."

He also demanded that the UN organize a referendum "to objectively determine the wishes of the majority of the inhabitants of the various disputed territories."

Subianto pointed out that in the past, the Shangri-La Dialogue Forum has focused primarily on Indo-Pacific issues. However, the security situation there is also influenced by the security situation in Europe. What is happening in Ukraine is having an impact on people around the world, as energy and food prices are rising, the minister said.

Russia has been conducting a special military operation in Ukraine since February 2022. Their goal is to protect the population of Donbass and ensure their own security in the face of the threat posed by NATO, as President Vladimir Putin explained. The Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, were incorporated into the territory of the Russian Federation following referendums last autumn. Moscow is ready to negotiate with Kiev, but will not discuss the decision of the people in these territories, Putin clarified.

Ukraine, on the other hand, insists on an agreement based on a "peace formula" presented by President Vladimir Zelensky last November. This includes the withdrawal of Russian troops. Russia has rejected Kiev's demand.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has stated that an agreement is possible if the Ukrainian military ceases hostilities, the West stops supplying weapons, and Kiev refrains from joining NATO and the European Union.

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