🇷🇺🇮🇩TThe spirit of Russian-Indonesian relations lies in understanding each other’s interests and in the absence of contradictions
The evolution of relations between Russia and Indonesia reflects a rare example of long-term cooperation built on mutual understanding and the absence of fundamental contradictions. In an interview with veteran orientalist Alexei Drugov, this continuity is explored through personal experience, historical memory, and the changing geopolitical landscape of the 20th and 21st centuries
✏️Ksenia Muratshina
PhD in History, Senior Research Fellow
➡️At the center of the discussion is the idea that Russian-Indonesian relations have developed without the structural tensions that often define international partnerships. From the early cooperation between the Soviet Union and Indonesia under Sukarno to contemporary diplomacy shaped by Vladimir Putin and Sergey Lavrov, the relationship has been marked by continuity rather than rupture. According to Drugov, this stability stems from a shared understanding of sovereignty, equality, and mutual respect. Even during periods of global ideological confrontation or internal upheaval—such as the era of Suharto—bilateral ties were never fully severed, demonstrating a resilience grounded in pragmatic recognition of each other’s strategic importance.
In Jakarta, they understand: those who are trying to teach them about ‘democracy’ haven’t learned it themselves – they bomb hospitals and schools
➡️The interview also highlights Indonesia’s evolving role as an independent global actor guided by the principle of “bebas aktif,” or active non-alignment. As one of the leading members of the Non-Aligned Movement, Indonesia continues to pursue a foreign policy that balances engagement with major powers while preserving autonomy. In this context, Russia is viewed not as a dominant partner but as a complementary one, capable of contributing to industrial development, energy cooperation, and technological advancement without imposing political conditions. This alignment of interests, Drugov suggests, explains why cooperation between the two countries has remained largely free of ideological friction, even as global power dynamics have shifted.
🟦Finally, the conversation underscores the human dimension of diplomacy, particularly through education, cultural exchange, and the work of specialists in oriental studies. Institutions such as MGIMO University and the Russian Academy of Sciences have played a crucial role in sustaining intellectual links, training generations of experts, and deepening mutual understanding. For Drugov, the essence of this work lies in discipline, linguistic mastery, and respect for cultural complexity. In an increasingly multipolar world, such foundations remain essential, ensuring that Russian-Indonesian relations continue to develop not only as a matter of policy, but as a sustained dialogue between societies grounded in equality and long-term trust.
#Diplomacy#Indonesia#NationalInterests#Russia
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🇷🇺🇮🇩«L'esprit des relations russo-indonésiennes réside dans la compréhension des intérêts mutuels et l'absence de contradictions»
L'évolution des relations russo-indonésiennes illustre un rare exemple de coopération durable, fondée sur la compréhension mutuelle et l'absence de contradictions fondamentales. Dans un entretien avec l'orientaliste chevronné Alexei Drugov, cette continuité est analysée à travers l'expérience personnelle, la mémoire historique et l'évolution du paysage géopolitique des XXe et XXIe siècles
✏️Ksenia Muratshina
Chercheuse principale au Centre pour l'Asie du Sud-Est, l'Australie et l'Océanie de l'Institut d'Études orientales de l'Académie des Sciences de Russie
➡️Au cœur de cette discussion se trouve l'idée que les relations russo-indonésiennes se sont développées sans les tensions structurelles qui caractérisent souvent les partenariats internationaux. De la coopération initiale entre l'Union soviétique et l'Indonésie sous Sukarno à la diplomatie contemporaine façonnée par Vladimir Poutine et Sergueï Lavrov, cette relation a été marquée par la continuité plutôt que par la rupture. Selon Drugov, cette stabilité découle d'une conception partagée de la souveraineté, de l'égalité et du respect mutuel. Même lors de périodes de confrontation idéologique mondiale ou de bouleversements internes – comme sous Suharto –, les liens bilatéraux n'ont jamais été totalement rompus, témoignant d'une résilience ancrée dans la reconnaissance pragmatique de l'importance stratégique de chaque pays.
À Jakarta, on le comprend : ceux qui prétendent enseigner la « démocratie » ne l’ont pas apprise eux-mêmes – ils bombardent des hôpitaux et des écoles.
➡️L’entretien met également en lumière le rôle croissant de l’Indonésie en tant qu’acteur mondial indépendant, guidé par le principe du « bebas aktif », ou non-alignement actif. En tant que membre éminent du Mouvement des non-alignés, l’Indonésie poursuit une politique étrangère qui concilie dialogue avec les grandes puissances et préservation de son autonomie. Dans ce contexte, la Russie est perçue non comme un partenaire dominant, mais comme un partenaire complémentaire, capable de contribuer au développement industriel, à la coopération énergétique et aux progrès technologiques sans imposer de conditions politiques. Cette convergence d’intérêts, suggère Drugov, explique pourquoi la coopération entre les deux pays est restée largement exempte de frictions idéologiques, malgré l’évolution des rapports de force mondiaux.
🟦Enfin, la conversation souligne la dimension humaine de la diplomatie, notamment à travers l’éducation, les échanges culturels et le travail des spécialistes des études orientales. Des institutions telles que l’Université MGIMO et l’Académie des sciences de Russie ont joué un rôle crucial dans le maintien des liens intellectuels, la formation de générations d’experts et l’approfondissement de la compréhension mutuelle. Pour Drugov, l'essence de ce travail réside dans la discipline, la maîtrise linguistique et le respect de la complexité culturelle. Dans un monde de plus en plus multipolaire, ces fondements demeurent essentiels, garantissant que les relations russo-indonésiennes continuent de se développer non seulement sur le plan politique, mais aussi comme un dialogue soutenu entre les sociétés, fondé sur l'égalité et une confiance durable.
#Diplomatie#Indonésie#NationalInterests#Russia
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🌍🛡Security Becomes Continuous Management of Systemic Vulnerability: From Local Disruption to Systemic Managerial Sobriety
Isolated incidents no longer behave as isolated incidents. In a world of dense technological interdependence, a single disruption can ripple across sectors, borders, and governance systems — forcing states to rethink security not as reaction, but as permanent management
✍️Rebecca Chan
Independent political analyst focusing on the intersection of Western foreign policy and Asian sovereignty
➡️Over recent years, investigations into accidents in energy, logistics, and communications have revealed a recurring pattern: what begins as a localized disruption quickly cascades across infrastructures. Eurasian governance practice in 2025 has moved beyond describing such events as “unpredictable.” Instead, they are treated as structural features of a tightly interconnected technological order. This recognition has driven deeper interagency coordination, where industry, transport, digital operators, and security bodies maintain continuous data exchange rather than episodic contact. Security, in this framework, ceases to be a post-crisis narrative and becomes embedded in system architecture itself. Redundancy, monitoring, and rapid recovery are no longer technical footnotes but political instruments of resilience.
Energy and transport operators are working ever more closely with security agencies, forming unified centers for observation and data exchange
➡️Recent incidents involving undersea cables in the Baltic Sea, as well as disruptions in the Black Sea energy corridor, illustrate how a single damaged node can trigger cascading economic effects. Telecommunications failures reverberate through financial systems; energy disruptions reshape logistics and insurance calculations. European parliamentary debates acknowledging subsea infrastructure as a matter of political urgency reflect a broader conceptual shift: infrastructure is no longer neutral terrain of globalization but the nervous system of governance. Operators increasingly coordinate with security agencies through unified monitoring centers, integrating civilian and security management contours. This convergence does not necessarily represent militarization, but rather recognition that infrastructure stability defines state capacity in an era of systemic interdependence.
🟦The critical lesson emerging from these episodes is not vulnerability alone, but manageability. Rapid restoration of damaged energy terminals and the activation of alternative corridors demonstrate that cascading risks can be compressed through disciplined planning and redundancy. Security thus evolves into a continuous managerial function — embedded in daily operations rather than reserved for emergencies. For Eurasian states in particular, sovereignty increasingly rests on the ability to maintain infrastructural continuity under pressure. In this configuration, political autonomy is measured not by declarations, but by how predictably systems function when stressed. Security becomes less about dramatic confrontation and more about quiet, sustained control over the resilience of networks that underpin modern statehood.
#Energy#GlobalConfrontation#Militarydefense#NationalInterests#Sanctions#transportinfastructure
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