JAKARTA: Russia shows no sign of changing direction in its war on Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday, as foreign ministers from 24 countries met in Indonesia’s capital for Southeast Asia’s annual security-focused gathering.

Top diplomats from China, the United States and Russia were among those who travelled to Jakarta for the Asean Regional Forum (ARF), where broad-based agendas are typically hijacked by geopolitical flare-ups.

Speaking to reporters after the talks concluded, Blinken said there was no indication that Russia was willing to engage in meaningful diplomacy on the war, which Moscow calls a “special military operation” to “denazify” its neighbour.

“I didn’t hear anything from Foreign Minister (Sergei) Lavrov that suggested any change in direction when it comes to what Russia is doing in Ukraine,” Blinken said, adding that Moscow was focused on blaming Washington for the world’s problems.

Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, said separately Lavrov had “aggressively” rejected a call to withdraw troops from Ukraine.

Lavrov said earlier this week the war would not end until the West “gives up its plans to preserve its domination”, including its “obsessive desire” to defeat Russia strategically.

He had no plans to contact US counterparts while in Jakarta, according to his spokesperson.

But Lavrov did meet top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi. The two sides would “strengthen strategic communication and coordination”, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

Other issues that dominated the talks in Indonesia were North Korea’s missile launches, US-China rivalry and the ongoing crisis in Myanmar.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the forum had agreed to “strengthen preventive diplomacy”.

“Sharpening rivalry continues to divide the region. Our region also hosts numerous potential flashpoints. This challenge is becoming more complicated,” she said.

The closed-door ARF brings together the foreign ministers of, among other countries, Australia, Japan, Britain, India, South Korea, China and the United States.

US-China rivalry

Blinken called for stability in the Indo-Pacific, Taiwan and South China Sea, adding there was “no greater challenge” to regional security than North Korea’s “provocative” missile launches.

“We need to work together to end North Korea’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction programme and ballistic missile launches,” he said.

Blinken on Thursday held what the State Department called “candid and constructive” talks with Chinese diplomat Wang Yi, the latest in a series of interactions it said were aimed at managing differences between the two big powers.

Wang had told Blinken “a rational and pragmatic attitude” was key to getting their relations on the right track.

US-China sparring marred last year’s ARF, which came a few days after then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, enraging Beijing.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2023