Medan, Indonesia – When Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo announced plans to visit Russia and Ukraine last week, he raised hopes of a solution to export blockages that have sent food prices soaring globally.
“War has to be stopped and global food supply chains need to be reactivated,” Widodo said last Sunday before departing for Ukraine, the first trip by a Southeast Asian leader to the region since the war erupted in February.
Striking a similar note, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stressed the need “to secure a grain corridor” from Ukraine, which is often described as “the bread basket of the world”, and release food and fertiliser exports from Russia.
The war in Ukraine has caused serious disruptions to food production and distribution, particularly for cereals and grains, exacerbating a spike in global food prices that has been fuelled by a confluence of factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, bad weather and poor harvests.
But for some observers, the high hopes surrounding the trip failed to materialise, with unclear communication adding to a sense of confusion about what was actually achieved.
Following his visit to Moscow on June 30, Widodo on social media expressed his appreciation to Russian President Vladimir Putin for conveying “security guarantees for food and fertiliser supplies from both Ukraine and Russia” and said Indonesia’s only interest was to see “the end of the war soon and the supply chain of food, fertiliser and energy immediately repaired”.
But Radityo Dharmaputra, an international relations lecturer at Airlangga University in Surabaya, said Widodo’s social media posting had created confusion about what Putin had actually said or agreed to.
“There seem to be mixed messages. Putin did not make any promises about fertiliser exports, so it would seem from things like that the trip was not a success,” Dharmaputra told Al Jazeera.
“We don’t know if Putin will do something behind the scenes but this was not based on any public statements and there does not seem to have been a firm commitment made about food and fertiliser.”
Dharmaputra said the optics of the tour were effective, with Widodo’s itinerary playing out in real time as photos of the trip, which included a…