Zelensky's message delivered to Putin, says Jokowi following talks

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

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

Indonesia holds the rotating presidency of the Group of 20 (G-20) this year and is preparing to host a summit in Bali in November.

"I conveyed President Zelensky's message to President Putin," Mr Widodo said after talks with the Kremlin chief in comments translated into Russian.

Mr Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, 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.

Mr Widodo was in Kyiv on Wednesday before heading to Moscow to meet Mr Putin, who on Feb 24 sent troops into pro-Western Ukraine. "Although the external situation is still difficult, it is still important to move towards a settlement and open dialogue," Mr Widodo said in Moscow.

He said his country would like "the war to end soon". "I call on all world leaders to revive the spirit of cooperation," he added.

Jakarta has come under Western pressure to exclude Mr Putin from the G-20 gathering after announcing in April he had been invited.

Mr Zelensky told Mr Widodo on Wednesday that he will attend the upcoming summit in Bali depending on who else is attending.

Mr Putin yesterday praised his talks with Mr Widodo as "productive". "I am convinced that the agreements reached today will further strengthen the Russian-Indonesian partnership," the Russian President added.

Mr Widodo also said global food supply issues would not improve if Russian fertiliser and Ukrainian wheat is unavailable, and said he urged Group of Seven leaders to ensure sanctions on Russia do not affect food and fertiliser supplies.

On his part, Mr Putin denied that Moscow was blocking Ukrainian grain exports, saying: "We do not prevent the export of Ukrainian grain. The Ukrainian military has mined the approaches to their ports, no one prevents them from clearing those mines and we guarantee the safety of shipping grain out of there."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS