Indonesia's defense minister has outlined plans to resolve the Ukraine conflict, including the idea of establishing a demilitarized zone monitored by UN peacekeepers .
The peace plan, presented by Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum today, includes a ceasefire "right where the two conflicting parties are now", establishing a demilitarized zone by withdrawing 15 km from each side's frontline positions.
According to him, the demilitarized zone should be monitored by UN peacekeeping forces and "Indonesia is ready to contribute units to peacekeeping operations". He also suggested that the UN hold a referendum "to objectively determine the wishes of the majority of people in the disputed areas".
"I call on Russia and Ukraine to join hands to immediately end the fighting," Prabowo said, noting that the conflict that has lasted more than 15 months has severely impacted the economies and food supplies of Asian countries.
Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 3. Photo: Reuters
Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Volodymyr V. Havrylov, who also attended the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, rejected the proposal of the Indonesian Defense Minister.
"We will not negotiate any agreements that would require us to accept the loss of territory, including Crimea," Havrylov said, stressing that Ukraine's counteroffensive plans were still progressing as planned, despite an "unprecedented" wave of missile and drone attacks across the country in recent weeks.
During a visit to Russia and Ukraine last year, Indonesian President Joko Widodo offered to act as a mediator and resume peace talks. Indonesia was then chairing the G20 group of major economies.
Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky has proposed a 10-point peace plan that requires Russian troops to withdraw from "internationally recognized Ukrainian territory," meaning Moscow must abandon all four regions it announced it would annex by the end of 2022, along with Crimea, a peninsula Russia annexed in 2014. Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential office, said Kiev was not interested in reaching a ceasefire agreement if it did not require Russia to withdraw from the above-mentioned areas.
At the Shangri-La Dialogue, Josep Borrell, the European Union's foreign policy chief, noted that if military support for Ukraine were to stop, the fighting would end quickly, but so would Ukraine's sovereignty. According to him, peace in Ukraine must be achieved on "just" terms.
"We cannot stop military support for Ukraine because we do not want peace that comes from surrender," Mr. Borrell said.
In response, Mr. Subianto said: "I am presenting a plan to resolve the conflict, I am not saying who is right or wrong."
Huyen Le (According to Reuters, AFP )
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