A controversial general is likely to be Indonesia’s next leader

At first blush, it did not seem too alarming. At Asia’s leading security conference last year, held in a glitzy ballroom at the Shangri-La hotel in Singapore, Indonesia’s defence minister, Prabowo Subianto, proposed a peace plan for Ukraine. Clad in a western suit and traditional peci cap, he then argued for an immediate ceasefire to establish a demilitarised buffer zone. Both Russia and Ukraine would withdraw 15km from their forward positions. The United Nations would send peacekeepers and organise a referendum to decide which country owned the disputed territory. China, a big investor in Indonesia in recent years, lauded Mr Prabowo’s vision. Ukraine’s defence minister labelled it “a Russian plan” and “strange”.