JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) \u2014 Fresh from delivering a stern new warning to Russia over Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Indonesia on Monday to find a top aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin already in Jakarta for security talks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just a day after joining his Group of Seven foreign minister colleagues in issuing the blunt demand for Russia to step back from a military escalation near the Ukrainian border, Blinken began a 48-hour visit to Indonesia with his plane parking in the shadow of that of Putin\u2019s national security adviser Nikolay Patrushev. Patrushev is considered the third most senior official in Russia\u2019s government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shortly before Blinken landed, the Russian embassy in Jakarta announced Patrushev\u2019s visit, saying he would be in the Indonesian capital for the same two days as the top American diplomat. The timing means that Patrushev\u2019s meetings will coincide with a major speech Blinken plans to give Tuesday on the Biden administration\u2019s Indo-Pacific strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was no indication that the two men might meet in Jakarta. Nor was there any indication that either would acknowledge the other\u2019s presence in Indonesia, which is the headquarters of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and a key regional security player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indonesia\u2019s foreign ministry downplayed the dueling visits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe U.S. and Russia are two of Indonesia\u2019s good partners. Indonesia will continue to develop strategic trust with all countries, all Indonesia\u2019s partners,\u201d Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said. \u201cThis strategic trust is very important as the foundation for building mutually beneficial and respectful cooperation. And Indonesia has a very high commitment to contribute to creating a peaceful, stable and prosperous world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blinken met Monday afternoon with Indonesian President Joko Widodo before a full slate of events on Tuesday, including the speech. The Russian embassy said Patrushev\u2019s main interlocutor in Indonesia would be Law and Security Affairs Minister Mohammad Mahfud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blinken traveled to Jakarta from a Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting in Liverpool, England, at which he and his counterparts told Russia on Sunday to \u201cde-escalate\u201d its military buildup near the Ukrainian border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The G-7 called on Russia to \u201cde-escalate, pursue diplomatic channels, and abide by its international commitments on transparency of military activities,\u201d and praised Ukraine\u2019s \u201crestraint.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ministers warned on a joint statement that any \u201cuse of force to change borders is strictly prohibited under international law. Russia should be in no doubt that further military aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences and severe cost in response.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The statement came after President Joe Biden spoke to Putin in a video call last week and said he had made clear that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would have \u201cdevastating\u201d consequences for Russia\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moscow denies having any plans to attack Ukraine and accuses Kyiv of its own allegedly aggressive designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ahead of Blinken\u2019s current trip, which at eight days will be his longest overseas journey since taking office, State Department officials had said they expected his focus to shift from challenges posed by Russia to those posed by China as he moved from the G7 meeting in Liverpool across the globe to Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was not immediately clear if Patrushev\u2019s presence on Indonesia would change that. In Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, Blinken is aiming to highlight the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, on which many of China\u2019s neighbors have accused Beijing of encroaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his meeting with Widodo, Blinken \u201cexpressed support for Indonesia\u2019s leadership in the Indo-Pacific as the world\u2019s third-largest democracy and a strong proponent of the rules-based international order,\u201d the State Department said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blinken also plans to express deep U.S. concerns about developments in Myanmar, where a military junta took power shortly after the Biden administration took office. Last week, a court in Myanmar convicted democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was ousted in a de facto coup in February, on two charges. The proceedings were widely criticized as a further effort by the country\u2019s military rulers to roll back the democratic gains of recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Blinken visits Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, Patrushev will be in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. One of Blinken\u2019s most senior aides, State Department counsellor Derek Chollet was in Cambodia last week following the U.S. imposition of an arms embargo on the country, citing deepening Chinese military influence, corruption and human rights abuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
___<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Associated Press writer Edna Tarigan contributed to this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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