Australia reacts to Russia’s ‘you have no cards’ warning regarding rumored military base in Indonesia
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has dismissed as “propaganda” an op-ed by Russia’s ambassador to Indonesia, Sergei Tolchenov, amid concerns of Moscow increasing its military presence in the region.
In the op-ed published in The Jakarta Post on April 19, Tolchenov claimed that Australia lacks the geopolitical weight to counter Russian military manoeuvres in the Indo-Pacific.
Tolchenov’s remarks appeared to reference unconfirmed reports of a potential Russian military base on Indonesia’s Biak Island, an area located strategically close to northern Australia around 1,360 kilometers away.
Despite Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles asserting there is “no prospect” of Russian aircraft being based in Indonesia, both Marles and Albanese have avoided confirming or denying whether Russia ever made such a request.
Indonesian officials have also not publicly denied that a request may have been submitted.
“It is hard to imagine that any ordinary Australians should be concerned about what is happening 1,300 kilometers from their territory, about matters that concern relations between other sovereign states and have nothing to do with Australia,” Tolchenov said.
“Perhaps it would be better for them to pay attention to the United States’ Typhon medium-range missile system in the Philippines, which will definitely reach the territory of the continent?” he added.
Tolchenov said that Australia is trying to play the “Russian card” and show who is more “Russophobic,” against the backdrop of upcoming Australian elections.
“I would like to remind them of the words of U.S. President Donald Trump, which he pronounced in the White House on Feb. 28, 2025, to the Ukrainian citizen ‘Z’ — ‘You have no cards.'"
When again asked about reports of Russia’s alleged request for a base in Indonesia at a press conference on April 21, Albanese criticized the opposition for amplifying Russian disinformation and said there is no credible prospect of such a base, thus there was no need for official briefings on the matter.
“I’m anti-Russia,” he said, adding: “I’m not sure that everyone is on that page, but I think that Russia has very different values under an authoritarian leader."
“I have no wish to help promote Russia’s propaganda messages, and I would suggest that that is not in Australia’s national interest either,” he added.
Australia has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters in its fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Australia is considering joining the European-led coalition of the willing to support a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine, a statement issued by U.K. Prime Minister Keir Stamer’s office read on March 8.
Starmer announced on March 2 that a number of European nations, including the U.K. and France, are developing a ‘coalition of the willing’ that will include “planes in the air and boots on the ground” in an effort to secure a successful ceasefire in Ukraine.
The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima