Indonesia-Russia relations started since the end of World War II and early relations were poor but became close during the Sukarno period due to Jakarta's anti-colonial stand. Nevertheless, the relations began to cool after the fall of Sukarno. They further declined during the Suharto era and continued to be cold during the post-Soviet period, following the end of the Cold War. This chapter deals briefly with Indonesia-Russia relations from early post- World War II until now, mainly from the Indonesian perspective. It looks at the nature of their relationships and major factors which influence Indonesian relations with the Soviet Union/Russian Federation. The ideological and economic aspects are examined, so are prospects of the relations.

There have been a few studies on Indonesia-Soviet relations during the Cold War as the ideological struggle was important. Nevertheless, since the end of the Cold War and the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, studies on Jakarta-Moscow relations have been markedly reduced. This is understandable as the Russian power has declined and the focus of world politics has shifted from ideology to economics. The economic relations between Indonesia and Russia were minimal. It is worth noting that even the Indonesian Central Board of Statistics no longer recorded the trade value between Jakarta and Moscow from 1999 onwards, showing the insignificance of the Indonesian-Russian trade. I will return to this point later in the chapter.

EARLY RELATIONS: FROM ANIMOSITY TO COOPERATION

Indonesia-Soviet relations, like relations between Indonesia and the United States of America, date back to the revolutionary period when Indonesia was still trying to defend its independence. The Soviets supported the communist group in order to gain more influence in the newly independent Indonesia. However, during the communist rebellions in 1948 known as the Madiun Affair, the pro-Soviet communists were crushed. This marked the decline of Indonesia-Soviet relations for the next ten years. Relations improved again when there was a resurgence of Indonesian nationalism and rebirth of the left-wing movement.