Hacking the way of peace through the G20

President Jokowi at the G20 Forum

By Eddy Suprapto
Chief Editor of Masagar News

JAKARTA: The Russo-Ukrainian war has entered 74 days but there is no sign of settlement and peace. The passion of the leaders of the two countries is more prominent than the interests of the general public. Although war is never a permanent solution to any problem. Even wars lost or won only torment the common people.

Although both parties have reasons to offer. However, conditions are not in their favor. The Russian side alleged that the Ukrainian government allowed other Russian-speaking people by the Ukrainian Right-wing Azov Regiment to be labeled as Neo-Nazis. In addition, Russia accuses Ukraine of wanting to become a member of NATO as an attempt to encircle Russia. Meanwhile, the Ukrainians accuse Russia of just making excuses and wanting to control Ukrainian land. So far, there has been no sign of peace.

Meanwhile, the international community, especially western countries such as the United States and Britain directly supply weapons to Ukraine. Proposed with Canada, Germany and France. The actions of western countries by sending equipment to Ukraine are like pouring oil into the husks. most western countries do not seek a peaceful solution but continue to prolong war. Countries that are Ukrainian with Russia such as Poland, Bulgaria and Eastern Europe that are NATO members also support the delivery of equipment. This action is far from peaceful. Even though we know that peace lives in a vacuum without conflict, the ability to deal with conflict in a peaceful manner should be at the top of every country’s leader’s agen

Sanctions are countered by sanctions

The United States as the world’s police in the Russo-Ukrainian war played a major role in implementing sanctions. United States, followed by Britain, Canada, Germany, France and other Western European countries. The United States and other western countries refuse to buy commodities from Russia. And block all Russian assets in western countries. Even people who are “close” to President Putin are subject to sanctions. The strange thing is that the Chelsea football club was sanctioned because its owner Roman Abramovich was suspected of having business facilities from President Putin. The football club can’t buy and sell players, it can’t issue a tour to Europe. Thus blindly sanctions western countries related to Russia. Sometimes the public is stunned because it doesn’t make sense.

Western sanctions against Russia include the banking world. America and Western European countries refuse to make transactions with Russian banks. Even some Russian assets in American and Western European banks were frozen.

The actions of America and western countries were met with sanctions by Russia. Starting from a ban on the number of diplomats, a list of people prohibited from entering Russia to payment for sales through the Russian currency, namely the ruble. Poland and Bulgaria because these two European countries are considered to hate Russia and pro NATO. Russia also confiscated western assets parked in Russia. Russia’s countermeasures will continue.

President Jokowi with President Putin

The United States also asked western European countries to stop buying gas from Russia. Whereas western European countries depend on Russia, especially for gas and oil. Western Europe 40 percent of its gas needs come from Russia. The total gas demand of Western European countries for Russian gas in 2022 is around 155 billion cubic meters (bcm). Meanwhile, Russia’s crude oil exports reached 1.2 million barrels per day to Europe with Russian domestic production reaching 2.2 million barrels per day. Russia is also the world’s 3rd largest coal exporter with a total of about 200 million tons. A total of 120-130 million tons are exported to countries in East Asia and India. While the remaining 60-70 million tons are exported to Europe. Russia is also the largest wheat producer with an export strength of 30 million tons per year to Germany, the Netherlands, France to Turkey. With trade sanctions from the West to Russia pushing up energy commodity prices.

The impact of the blue country war will be threatened with darkness if it continues until winter arrives. Russia’s gas supply will be stopped. The Paris agreement on carbon emissions fell apart. Europe revives coal-fired power plants. The Netherlands, Spain and England also returned to using coal. Although several European countries have received gas commitments from the Middle East, they cannot cover gas needs from Russia. The impact that is no less severe will be a shortage of wheat supply to Middle Eastern countries because of the Russian wheat supply. The instability of production and market for energy and food products will shake the international economy.

Peace Diplomacy at the G20

In the midst of global inflation due to rising commodity prices, world leaders and religious leaders do not have the imagination to seek new diplomatic breakthroughs. Diplomacy carried out by western countries is only diplomacy to pour gasoline and expand the scale of war through various sanctions. America and several western countries also began to pressure other countries to isolate Russia. This includes pressuring Indonesia not to invite President Putin to the September G20 session in Bali. America, Britain, Australia, Canada openly walked out of the G20 session during an online meeting of world economy ministers initiated by the Indonesian Minister of Economy Sri Mulyani.

President Jokowi’s stance is clear in the Russo-Ukrainian war, “Stop the war. The war torments mankind, and endangers the world,” President Jokowi further emphasized, “The failure of the ceasefire agreement in Ukraine not only led to the escalation of armed conflict but also increased casualties and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.”

On the other hand, the pressure on Indonesia not to invite Russia to the G20 meeting is also unreasonable. As the holder of the mandate for the 2022 G20 Presidency, in the last two months, Jokowi claimed to have communicated with a number of state leaders and also the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) about the preparations for the G20 Summit (Summit) which will be held in Bali in November.

President Jokowi also communicated with Western leaders, “March 7, 2022, I communicated with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Then March 8, 2022, I communicated with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and March 16 2022, I also spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,” he said. Then on March 22, 2022, President Jokowi claimed to have spoken by telephone with French President Emmanuel Macron and March 31, 2022, held talks with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, and April 12, 2022 with the Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres. In addition, on April 27, the President also communicated with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and on April 28, 2022 with the President of Portugal Marcelo de Sousa and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Jokowi also revealed that the reason Indonesia invited the President of Russia and the President of Ukraine to the G20 Summit was to create peace and stability which is an important key in the recovery and development of the world economy. Therefore, the G20 Presidency of Indonesia is pushing for a peaceful settlement of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. “I want to emphasize that Indonesia wants to unite the G20. Don’t let there be a split. Peace and stability are the keys to the recovery and development of the world economy,” said President Jokowi.

President Zelensky dan President Jokowi

President Zelensky also discussed the request for arms assistance from Indonesia. “I emphasize that in accordance with the mandate of the Indonesian constitution and the principles of Indonesia’s foreign policy, it is forbidden to provide weapons assistance to other countries. However, I conveyed Indonesia’s readiness to provide humanitarian assistance. I convey the hope that the war can be stopped immediately and a peaceful solution through negotiations can be put forward,” he said.

President Jokowi said that the G20 has a role as a catalyst in the recovery of the world economy and when it comes to the recovery of the world economy, there are two big things affecting it at the moment, namely the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. “It is in this context that in a telephone conversation yesterday I invited President Zelensky to attend the G20 summit,” he said. Meanwhile, in a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Putin also gave news and expressed his gratitude for the invitation to the G20 summit and he said he would attend,” said Jokowi.

Indonesia’s position as a non-aligned country from the start did not want to be included in one block despite pressure from America and the West to reject the presence of the Russian President. In fact, as a non-aligned country, Indonesia offered a peaceful way to end the war. If President Jokowi can initiate a meeting between President Putin and President Zelensky, it will be a historic moment and certainly hope for peace and an end to war. Indonesia’s peace proposal is not an easy road, even through a steep diplomatic path. Dealing with the pattern of western diplomacy is pouring gasoline on the coals. Therefore, it is a challenge for all Indonesian diplomats to bring the two leaders of Russia and Ukraine to sit together at the negotiating table at the G20 Summit. The path of peace is more interesting than war. The news of peace must be urged so that the lives of the people of the world obtain peace and prosperity together. If President Jokowi is able to reconcile the two leaders of Russia and Ukraine, then President Jokowi will leave a legacy as a world peacemaker and deserve the Nobel Peace Prize.