Indonesians support Russia's operation in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, talks with his Indonesian counterpart Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during a signing ceremony between their ministers at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2007. AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, talks with his Indonesian counterpart Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during a signing ceremony between their ministers at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2007. AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim

Published Mar 25, 2022

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Bangkok - Indonesians largely support the Russian special military operation in Ukraine and approve of the leadership of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian ambassador to Indonesia Lyudmila Vorobyova told Sputnik.

Earlier this month, Indonesian company Evello, which specializes in social media monitoring and analysis, published a report showing that Indonesian netizens strongly support the Russian operation in Ukraine. The response can be attributed to the negative attitude of the general population in the country towards the US and Nato, experts believe.

“Indeed, Indonesian public actively support the special military operation led by Russia in Ukraine,” Vorobyova said.

The ambassador noted that several factors account for this.

“First, it’s worth noting that there are grave anti-American sentiments in the country because of the US and its allies’ track record of aggression towards Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and other countries.

“Another factor that evokes such a reaction from the public are the fruitless attempts of the West to fight terrorism, which lead to numerous deaths of 'brothers in faith', as Indonesia is the largest Muslim country by population,” Vorobyova said.

Another critical aspect is the personal authority of the Russian president, according to the ambassador.

“The president’s actions aimed at building a fair multi-polar world are frequently compared in Indonesia to the politics of the first president of Indonesia Sukarno, who had an anti-west stance and did a lot to establish close relations with the USSR,” the ambassador added.

Moreover, for Indonesians, Russia serves as an example of a country on a path to reaching inter-ethnic and inter-faith harmony, Vorobyova stressed.

“We often see local news outlets extensively cover the development of Islam in Russia. In this context, the participation of the Russian Muslim military including those from the Chechen Republic is met with great approval,” the official noted.

On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response to Russia’s operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow.

Sputnik