Blinken competes with top Russian official in Indonesia

JAKARTA – Fresh from delivering a stern caller informing to Russia implicit Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived successful Indonesia connected Monday to find a apical adjutant to Russian President Vladimir Putin already successful Jakarta for information talks.

Just a time aft joining his Group of Seven overseas curate colleagues successful issuing the blunt request for Russia to measurement backmost from a subject escalation adjacent the Ukrainian border, Blinken began a 48-hour sojourn to Indonesia with his level parking successful the shadiness of that of Putin’s nationalist information advisor Nikolay Patrushev. Patrushev is considered the 3rd astir elder authoritative successful Russia's government.

Shortly earlier Blinken landed, the Russian embassy successful Jakarta announced Patrushev’s visit, saying helium would beryllium successful the Indonesian superior for the aforesaid 2 days arsenic the apical American diplomat. The timing means that Patrushev's meetings volition coincide with a large code Blinken plans to springiness Tuesday connected the Biden administration's Indo-Pacific strategy.

Ad

There was nary denotation that the 2 men mightiness conscionable successful Jakarta. Nor was determination immoderate denotation that either would admit the other's beingness successful Indonesia, which is the office of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and a cardinal determination information player.

Blinken was gathering Monday day with Indonesian President Joko Widodo earlier a afloat slate of events connected Tuesday, including the speech. The Russian embassy said Patrushev's main interlocutor successful Indonesia would beryllium Law and Security Affairs Minister Mohammad Mahfud.

Blinken traveled to Jakarta from a Group of Seven overseas ministers gathering successful Liverpool, England, astatine which helium and his counterparts told Russia connected Sunday to “de-escalate” its subject buildup adjacent the Ukrainian border.

The G-7 called connected Russia to “de-escalate, prosecute diplomatic channels, and abide by its planetary commitments connected transparency of subject activities,” and praised Ukraine’s “restraint.”

Ad

The ministers warned connected a associated connection that immoderate “use of unit to alteration borders is strictly prohibited nether planetary law. Russia should beryllium successful nary uncertainty that further subject aggression against Ukraine would person monolithic consequences and terrible outgo successful response."

The connection came aft President Joe Biden spoke to Putin successful a video telephone past week and said helium had made wide that a Russian penetration of Ukraine would person “devastating” consequences for Russia's economy.

Moscow denies having immoderate plans to onslaught Ukraine and accuses Kyiv of its ain allegedly assertive designs.

Ahead of Blinken's existent trip, which astatine 8 days volition beryllium his longest overseas travel since taking office, State Department officials had said they expected his absorption to displacement from challenges posed by Russia to those posed by China arsenic helium moved from the G7 gathering successful Liverpool crossed the globe to Southeast Asia.

Ad

It was not instantly wide if Patrushev's beingness connected Indonesia would alteration that. In Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, Blinken is aiming to item the value of ensuring state of navigation successful the South China Sea, connected which galore of China’s neighbors person accused Beijing of encroaching.

Blinken besides plans to explicit heavy U.S. concerns astir developments successful Myanmar, wherever a subject junta took powerfulness soon aft the Biden medication took office. Last week, a tribunal successful Myanmar convicted ideology person Aung San Suu Kyi, who was ousted successful a de facto coup successful February, connected 2 charges. The proceedings were wide criticized arsenic a further effort by the country’s subject rulers to rotation backmost the antiauthoritarian gains of caller years.

As Blinken visits Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, Patrushev volition beryllium successful Phnom Penh, Cambodia. One of Blinken's astir elder aides, State Department counsellor Derek Chollet was successful Cambodia past week pursuing the U.S. imposition of an arms embargo connected the country, citing deepening Chinese subject influence, corruption and quality rights abuses.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.