Canberra
\nAustralian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rejected a provocative warning from Russia\u2019s ambassador to Indonesia, labelling it \u201cpropaganda\u201d and reaffirming Australia\u2019s strong ties with Indonesia amid reports of a possible Russian military base in the region.
\nIn a letter published in The Jakarta Post, Russian envoy Sergei Tolchenov claimed Australia had \u201cno cards\u201d to play in preventing potential military cooperation between Russia and Indonesia.
\nThe letter followed reports that Moscow had requested to base aircraft at Biak Island in eastern Indonesia, about 1,300km from Darwin.
\nAlbanese dismissed the warning, stating, \u201cRussia has very different values under an authoritarian leader. I have no wish to help promote Russia\u2019s propaganda messages.\u201d
\nThe Indonesian government has denied granting permission for any foreign military base.
\n\u201cReports of the prospect of Russian aircraft operating from Indonesia are simply not true,\u201d said Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, quoting his Indonesian counterpart.
\nDespite the denials, the Russian letter intensified political tensions in Australia, with the opposition demanding briefings and accusing the government of obfuscation.
\nOpposition Leader Peter Dutton criticised ministers for inconsistent messaging, but Albanese maintained that Australia\u2019s national interest lies in upholding truth, not amplifying Russian disinformation.
\nRussia also took aim at Australia\u2019s security relationship with the United States, referencing AUKUS and US military presence on Australian soil.
\nTolchenov accused both major Australian parties of \u201cplaying the Russian card\u201d for political gain during an election cycle.
\nIndonesia\u2019s Defence Ministry reiterated there was no agreement with Russia, and both Jakarta and Canberra have worked to reaffirm their partnership, which includes around 20 joint military exercises annually.
\nThe Australian government remains confident in its longstanding strategic ties with Indonesia, underpinned by the 2006 Lombok Treaty and the 2023 Defence Cooperation Agreement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Canberra Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rejected a provocative warning from Russia\u2019s ambassador to Indonesia, labelling it \u201cpropaganda\u201d and reaffirming Australia\u2019s strong ties with Indonesia amid reports of a possible Russian military base in the region. In a letter published in The Jakarta Post, Russian envoy Sergei Tolchenov claimed Australia had \u201cno cards\u201d to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-473929","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n