Indonesia's relations with Russia will likely deepen and expand into many areas in the coming years following the meeting between president-elect Prabowo Subianto and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow this month. Whether by design or not, strengthening relations with Russia will likely have strategic implications on how Indonesia conducts its international relations when the former Army general takes over in October.

Jakarta has been treading a tightrope in an increasingly polarized world. In the context of the escalating tensions between the United States and China, with whom Russia has a "no limits" partnership, Prabowo's maneuvers could push Indonesia even closer toward China. At least, that seems to be the perception, if not the concern, of the West.

Although Prabowo has traveled as defense minister, his visits to 10 countries since he was declared winner of February's presidential race is widely touted as an introductory tour for the incoming Indonesian leader. These visits have not only revealed his grasp of geopolitics and diplomatic skills, but also, as some observers say, his foreign policy priorities. The fact that he has visited China and Russia, but not the United States, since April gives a hint of where he will lean in the emerging big power rivalry.

Prabowo appears to have struck a chord with Putin as their meeting explored areas in which Indonesia and Russia should be collaborating. They include defense, military, trade and investment, tourism, food and energy, including nuclear technology, health and education.

Describing Russia as a "good friend", Prabowo recalled the time in the 1950s and 1960s when ties between Jakarta and Moscow, capital of the now dissolved Soviet Union, were strong.

Indonesia, one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement during the height of the Cold War, turned to the Soviet Union for military aid when faced with an arms embargo from the West. Indonesia launched a successful military campaign to win Papua from Dutch hands in the 1960s and later started a military confrontation against neighboring Malaysia.

Prabowo pointed to the Bung Karno Sports Stadium and the national monument Monas in Jakarta among the living legacies of the Soviet aid. He could also have mentioned the state-owned giant Krakatau Steel, which started as a steel project funded by Moscow, and the Persahabatan Hospital in Jakarta, as other important landmark symbols from those years.

"We remember Russia always helping us during hard times," he told Putin, according to a press release from the Defense Ministry.

Relations with Moscow cooled after 1965 when staunchly anti-communist Army general Soeharto wrested power from Sukarno and leaned Indonesia closer to the Western bloc during the Cold War.

Now as a new cold war emerges, this time pitting the United States and China, Indonesia is once again proclaiming its non-alignment stance, although it is leaning closer to China on economy matters, but closer to the United States for security and defense.

It will be interesting to see how this balancing act is affected now that Prabowo is working to strengthen ties with Russia. Although Indonesia has condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, it has not joined the economic sanctions imposed by the West.

Much of the groundwork for building economic ties had been done by Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto who visited Moscow in June to preparing programs to celebrate 75 yeas of relations in 2025. Trade with Russia is growing but still low compared with many other countries, as is also the investment from Russia. This could change in the coming years. 

The two countries have agreed to finalize negotiations for the Indonesia-Eurasia Economic Union (EAEU) Free Trade Agreement this year which would pave the way for more trade between Indonesia and five EAEU members: Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Russia has no qualms about how Indonesia runs its palm oil industry, an issue that has bogged down the negotiations for a free trade agreement with the European Union. Indonesia is also seeking Russia's assistance with the development of its nuclear technology to spur the transition to green energy, and also to apply in agriculture. Indonesia is exploring ways to buy Russian crude oil, which, because of Western economic sanctions over Ukraine, is available at a huge discount for those who can access it.

There is also discussion for the Russian flag carrier Aeroflot to resume flights to Indonesia, most likely to Bali, the favorite destination for many affluent Russian tourists. Indonesia closed down the Aeroflot office in Jakarta in the 1980s amidst allegations that it was part of Kremlin's spy network.

On education, Prabowo asked for access for Indonesians to study at Russian universities, particularly for medical studies, as Indonesia desperately needs to bolster the number of doctors. According to the World Health Organization, Indonesia is 160,000 short of doctors to reach the international standard of one doctor for every 1,000 people.

Prabowo discussed the prospects of closer defense military cooperation with Putin and defense minister Andrey Belusov although details were not made public. Indonesia last year cancelled a deal to purchase Russia's Sukhoi jet fighters under pressure from the United States which had invoked the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Acts (CAATSA). Prabowo turned to France as replacement. The Indonesian Military is in the middle of modernizing its weapons system and is trying to diversify its sources away from the United States which has supplied most of them. Press reports in April said Russia was still waiting for the formal cancelation of the deal from Indonesia.

A Gerindra politician said that the relationship between Putin and Prabowo is actually rather flat. The root of the issue, according to this source, lies in Prabowo's policies as Minister of Defense regarding the procurement of primary defense equipment. Indonesia and Russia have a Sukhoi fighter jets deal made during Ryamizard Ryacudu's tenure, which has yet to be executed. "Instead, Prabowo has shifted to French-made Rafale jets," said the source.

Additionally, Prabowo and Putin also discussed the potential for nuclear energy development. "This topic was one of the crucial issues in the Prabowo-Putin meeting," said the source. During the meeting, Prabowo said he had started preliminary discussions with Rosatom, the Russian state-owned company, to explore the possibility of developing nuclear reactors.

However, the politician noted that regulatory hurdles might pose a challenge. The Draft Renewable Energy Law is still under discussion and is unlikely to be completed soon. According to this draft, there is still a debate about whether nuclear energy should be classified as new and renewable energy. The source indicated that Putin is ready to cooperate and invest in Indonesia. Indonesia is interested in exploring nuclear energy sources to reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants.