President Jokowi Summons Defense Minister Prabowo To The Palace

DOC. President Jokowi with Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto/ANTARA PHOTO/Akbar Nugroho Gumay/tom.

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo summoned Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto to appear at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta.

"It is true that the Minister of Defense was summoned by the President to the Merdeka Palace this afternoon. It is customary for the President to summon his ministers, of course there are things that need to be discussed or discussed with the minister who is summoned," said Deputy for Protocol, Press and Media of the Presidential Secretariat Bey Machmudin as reported by ANTARA, Friday, June 9.

The meeting took place just days after President Jokowi stated that he would summon Defense Minister Prabowo regarding the proposed resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict that was delivered at the International Institute forum for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue 2023 in Singapore, on Saturday (3/6).

According to Bey, the President asked the Defense Minister about the proposed peaceful resolution.

However, Bey stressed that at a later time the President would explain further the results of the discussion.

"Mr. President has certainly asked about the problem (proposed resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict). But for the results of the discussion, in time the President will convey it directly to media friends," said Bey.

Prabowo while attending the IISS Shang-ri La Dialogue 2023 in Singapore on Saturday (3/6) submitted a number of proposals for a peaceful resolution to the conflict that has occurred following Russia's invasion of Ukraine since February 2022.

The Defense Minister submitted at least four proposals, namely a ceasefire at points of conflict, a 15-kilometer withdrawal of troops from both parties to create a demilitarized zone, the termination of the United Nations peacekeeping force (UN), and the implementation of a referendum by the United Nations in areas that Prabowo calls a "dispute area".

"PBB needs to regulate and implement referendums in disputed areas to ensure objectively the desire of the majority of the population in these disputed areas," Prabowo said on Saturday (3/6).

The proposal drew mixed responses, including an official statement from Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko, who insisted on rejecting Prabowo's proposal.

Nikolenko appreciated the effort to restore peace to Russia, but called the proposal "as drawing conclusions from its own history."

Meanwhile, President Jokowi emphasized that the proposal submitted at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue 2023 was a personal initiative of Defense Minister Prabowo.

"It was from Pak Prabowo himself, but I haven't met Pak Prabowo yet," said Jokowi, Tuesday (6/6).