Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto on Saturday proposed a Russia-Ukraine peace plan and called for a ceasefire and a United Nations referendum to stop the armed conflict between the two countries.
Speaking at the plenary session of the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Subianto also asked the defense ministers attending the meeting to issue a declaration calling for the cessation of the conflict.
"The first thing to do is asking both Ukraine and Russia to implement a ceasefire," he said in a statement received here on Saturday.
The minister also proposed that both Russian and Ukrainian forces withdraw 15 kilometers from each party's frontline to establish a demilitarized zone.
He asked the United Nations to deploy a peacekeeping force and conduct a referendum of the people living in demilitarized areas.
He informed that Indonesia is willing to be the first country to join the peacekeeping force.
According to Subianto, the war between Russia and Ukraine must be stopped immediately because it is affecting all life sectors all over the world.
Subianto's proposals invited questions from some participants at the meeting, who expressed concern that the proposal would only justify Russia's aggression.
"I'm not saying right or wrong. Indonesia is clearly against the aggression on Ukraine. What I'm saying is a way out. The United Nations must take a stand to end this war so it doesn't continue for too long and hamper life around the world," Subianto said.
The cessation of war through the establishment of a demilitarized zone is not something new for the United Nations. It has been done during the wars in Korea, Vietnam, and Africa, he pointed out.
In May, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had expressed his support for peace efforts in Ukraine during a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
Widodo also said that Indonesia is ready to serve as a peace bridge between Russia and Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has proposed a 10-point peace plan, which entails the full withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
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