Albanese Dismisses Russian Warning on Military Cooperation

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has dismissed warnings from Russia's ambassador to Indonesia, who claimed Australia 'has no cards' to play regarding potential Russian military cooperation with Indonesia. Albanese labeled the Russian comments as 'propaganda' and reaffirmed Australia's commitment to truthful communication and its strong ties with Indonesia. Both Indonesian and Australian officials have denied reports that Moscow requested to base military aircraft on Indonesian territory, with Indonesia's Defence Ministry explicitly stating no such agreement exists. The Russian ambassador's letter, published in the Jakarta Post, argued that Australia should not interfere in bilateral matters and criticized Australia's security ties with the United States. The issue has become a point of contention in the Australian federal election campaign, with opposition leaders demanding greater transparency and accusing the government of obfuscation, while Albanese accused the opposition of misrepresenting facts and amplifying Russian disinformation.