Jakarta. A Polish senior official recently warned that the years-long Russia-Ukraine war did not mean that Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, could simply ignore its impact just because they are far away from the conflict.

The war in Ukraine has already passed its third year mark since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. While former President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had tried to cool down the tension that disrupted global food supplies back in 2022, the two warring sides are still far from making peace to this day. Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski, the secretary of state at the Polish Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Jakarta on Thursday that the war had a far-reaching impact that can fuel geopolitical uncertainties in other parts of the world.

“For people who think ‘you live in Southeast Asia, therefore it doesn’t really affect you,' I’d like to suggest that you think about what would happen if Russia controls Ukraine? What kind of ideas would it give to some nations in Southeast Asia?” Bartoszewski said.

“What would happen with the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea? What would happen with the Philippines and its shipping boats? What would happen with Indonesia and other places? These things are linked,” he told the press. 

Poland is a member of the 27-strong European Union (EU). The bloc has been on Ukraine’s side, even slapping sanctions against Russia. Ukraine is currently pursuing membership in the EU. The Polish diplomat said that what is happening is an attempt at “eliminating Ukraine as a state”, while thanking Indonesia for opposing the war at the United Nations (UN). In February 2025, Indonesia voted in favor of a UN resolution aimed at advancing a lasting peace in Ukraine.

"We thank Indonesia for voting in the UN against this conflict. We are going to support [the resolution] together with many other countries, not only European nations. … We don’t want Ukraine to lose this war,” Bartoszewski stated.

President Prabowo Subianto stated that Jakarta was willing to deploy “20,000 or even more” peacekeepers to Ukraine -- and other conflict-torn regions like Gaza -- when he spoke at the UN podium in late September. However, the government had repeatedly stated that peacekeeping missions would be subject to the UN’s orders. Prabowo met his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in St. Petersburg back in June for talks on boosting economic ties.

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