Indonesia's first joint military drills with Russia this week signal that new President Prabowo Subianto will seek a bigger role for Jakarta on the world stage as part of a significant foreign policy shift, analysts say.
Indonesia has long maintained a neutral foreign policy and refuses to take sides in the Russia-Ukraine conflict or U.S.-China rivalry, but Prabowo has called for stronger ties with Moscow despite Western pressure on Jakarta.
"It is part of a broader agenda to elevate ties with whomever it may be, regardless of their geopolitical bloc, as long as there is a benefit for Indonesia," said Pieter Pandie, researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
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