Indonesian President Joko Widodo says he gave Vladimir Putin message from Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky

The Russian leader hosted his Indonesian counterpart as Moscow seeks to pivot to Asia and Africa in wake of Western sanctions over his invasion

Widodo, fresh from a trip to Kyiv, said he expressed his readiness to help start communication between Putin and Zelensky

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Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a joint news conference after their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow on Thursday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 12:43am, 1 Jul 2022Updated: 11:42am, 1 Jul 2022

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said in Moscow he delivered a message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Putin hosted Widodo more than four months into Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine, as Russia seeks to pivot toward Asia and Africa following the onset of unprecedented Western sanctions.

Indonesia holds the rotating presidency of the G20 this year and is preparing to host a summit in Bali in November.

“I conveyed President Zelensky’s message to President Putin,” Widodo said on Thursday after talks with the Kremlin chief in comments translated into Russian.

Widodo said he expressed his “readiness” to help start “communication” between the two leaders. He did not provide further details, and neither side said what was in the note.

Widodo was in Kyiv on Wednesday before heading to Moscow to meet Putin, who on February 24 sent troops into pro-Western Ukraine.