Prabowo Proposes UN To Hold Referendum In Russia-Ukraine Dispute Area

JAKARTA - Defense Minister (Menhan) Prabowo Subianto proposed the United Nations (UN) to hold a referendum in disputed areas following Russia's invasion of Ukraine since February 2022.

"PBB needs to regulate and implement referendums in disputed areas to objectively ensure the desire of the majority of the population in these disputed areas," Prabowo said while speaking at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue 2023 forum in Singapore, reported by ANTARA, Saturday, June 3.

The implementation of the referendum is a final suggestion conveyed by Prabowo as an effort to resolve the conflict that has been going on for quite a long time. First, Prabowome suggested that Russia and Ukraine hold a ceasefire and stop violence between the two parties in conflict.

Then, he continued, both Russia and Ukraine needed to withdraw troops 15 kilometers from their previous positions to create a demilitarized zone.

Prabowo also advised the United Nations to form and deploy peacekeeping forces along the previously agreed demilitarized zone.

"I would like to emphasize that Indonesia is ready to contribute through military monitoring and troops who join the UN peacekeeping force," he explained.

Prabowo believes the measures have proven successful in stopping the Korean War through the Korean Demilitarization Zone agreement. Nevertheless, he admitted that the conflict on the Korean Peninsula between South Korea and North Korea is still ongoing today.

"But, for at least the last five decades we have seen forms of peace, rather than mass destruction and the killing of those innocent," he said.

Therefore, Prabowo emphasized that now is no longer the time to find out who went wrong in the conflict in Ukraine. Nevertheless, he stressed that Indonesia rejects the Russian invasion as voiced through approval of UN resolutions asking Russia to stop attacks on Ukraine.

According to Prabowo, in every conflict there is always a story version of each warring party and both parties always believe in the truth of each.

"But, for the security of the world, the safety of those who are innocent, we must stop hostilities as soon as possible," Prabowo said.