Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has sought emergency clarification from Indonesia after reports emerged of Russia delivering a formal request to place military aircraft in Papua, Indonesia’s far eastern province – just 1,200 km north of Darwin.
The news, first reported by defense publication Janes, sparked a large political controversy as it has become an important topic in Australia’s election campaign. “We don’t want to see Russian influence over our region,” he said at a press conference, stressing Australia’s national security concerns.
Darwin is actually temporary home to a U.S. Marine Corps rotational force for half the year and its closeness to Papua makes strategic concerns higher. While Australian airbases are being upgraded for U.S. bombers, the presence of Russian air so close worries both parties together. 
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles is said to have telephoned his Indonesian counterpart, who promised that there would be no Russian aircraft stationed in the country. No such request has been received by the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, according to spokesman Roy Soemirat.
Meanwhile, Russian Deputy PM Denis Manturov’s meeting with President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta has fuelled speculation.
Penny Wong, the foreign minister of Australia, reasserted Jakarta’s value to Canberra’s security, pointing to the defense agreement it signed with Jakarta last year. Opposition leader Peter Dutton has demanded a formal briefing, and called the report “deeply disturbing.”
As regional tensions run hot, Australia keeps watchful eye for shifts in Indo-Pacific balance of power.
