None of those in the media who lend credence to Janes’ scandalous report can cogently explain what tangible benefit Russia or Indonesia would obtain from this base arrangement.
Janes Information Service set the Asian media ablaze on Monday after citing unnamed Indonesian sources to claim that Russia requested an airbase on the island of Biak near New Guinea. The Australian Defense Minister spoke to his Indonesian counterpart the next day, however, who told him that this report is “simply not true.” Keen observers would have already known even before this that Janes’ report about Russia wanting an airbase in Indonesia likely wasn’t true for the following five reasons:
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1. Indonesia’s New President Is Passionately Pro-American
New Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who was inaugurated last October after his election in February 2024 and served as Defense Minister from 2019 till then, made headlines for his phone call with Trump shortly after the latter’s electoral victory. He posted a video of their brief exchange where he offered to fly to congratulate him personally and even boasted about how “All my training is American”. This isn’t the behavior of someone who’s willing to get on the US’ bad side by hosting Russian warplanes.
Hellbound and Down 