Prabowo: A Nation that Do Not Invest in Defense Risk Losing Sovereignty

Jakarta, VIVA – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto emphasized that every country must invest in its own defense.

Without such investment, he warned, a nation becomes vulnerable to being conquered and ultimately enslaved.

This statement was delivered during his speech at the Indo Defence 2025 Expo and Forum held at JiExpo, Jakarta, on Wednesday (June 11).

“A nation that refuses to invest in its own defense usually loses its sovereignty. Its independence is taken, and it becomes a nation of slaves,” the head of state said.

President Prabowo added that no rational country desires war. In his view, war is destructive and only brings devastation.

However, he stressed that a nation’s safety must be ensured through strong defense.

“A nation's safety must be guaranteed by its defense. No sane nation wants war. War is destructive—it brings nothing but ruin,” the President explained.

He also reaffirmed that Indonesia is a peace-loving nation.

“History has taught us this: the Indonesian people have always declared that we love peace—but we love freedom even more,” President Prabowo stated.

As information, the Indo Defence 2025 event is an international defense equipment exhibition, attended by representatives from 55 countries and featuring 32 national pavilions showcasing domestic and foreign military technologies.