Jakarta. Western nations are keeping a close eye on whatever Moscow does with Indonesia, including the crude import deals, according to a Russian envoy.

Indonesia has grown closer to Russia following crude purchases and frequent leaders-level talks. Asked for an update on the oil purchase, Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Sergei Tolchenov refused to disclose the specifics, describing them as “confidential commercial information”. He also admitted to choosing not to reveal everything related to the negotiations, citing Western concerns.

“This is bilateral Indonesia-Russia cooperation. Unfortunately, all our bilateral activities are under very strict monitoring from Western countries,” Tolchenov told reporters in Jakarta on Wednesday.

“They still try to apply what we call ‘secondary sanctions’ against the Indonesian companies who are brave enough to cooperate with my country.” 

The envoy went on to say that bilateral trade with Jakarta had jumped by roughly 16% year-on-year (yoy) in the first half of 2026. Statistics agency BPS reported Indonesia-Russia commerce activities hit $3.1 billion over the said period, with Jakarta registering an almost $1.5 billion deficit. Tolchenov added that these numbers comprised fertilizers and energy contracts, among others.

Tolchenov was alluding to the European Union or the EU’s sanctions in his remarks. The bloc has been sanctioning Moscow to prevent it from bankrolling the Ukraine war.

In April 2026, the EU unveiled restrictions against  Indonesia’s Karimun oil terminal, citing its connections with Russia’s shadow fleet and oil price cap circumventions. EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas has also urged ASEAN economies, including Indonesia, to stay away from Russian crude, saying wars would end “when aggressors run out of money to finance them”.

Indonesia has pivoted to Russian crude after Iran shut down maritime traffic in the nearby Strait of Hormuz following the US military campaign. The first tranche of Russian crude had already arrived in Indonesia, the government confirmed last month. Media reports showed that the shipments amounted to 770,000 barrels, a tiny slice of the 150 million-barrel supply deal. Indonesia has appointed the government-run energy research agency Lemigas to manage Russian crude oil imports. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently unveiled plans to host his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto in Vladivostok “early September”. Tolchenov refused to comment when asked about this plan, saying that it’s up to the palace to announce the details.

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